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BIRDS    OF   CALIFORNIA 

AN  INTRODUCTION 

TO   MORE  THAN  THREE   HUNDRED   COMMON 

BIRDS  OF  THE  STATE  AND  ADJACENT 

ISLANDS 

WITH  A  SUPPLEMENTARY  LIST  OF  RARE  MIGRANTS,  ACCIDENTAL 
VISITANTS,  AND    HYPOTHETICAL   SUBSPECIES 

BY 

IRENE    GROSVENOR   WHEELOCK 

AUTHOR    OF    "  NESTLINGS   OF    FOREST   AND    MARSH  " 


WITH  TEN  FULL-PAGE  PLATES  AND   SKVENTY-E IGHT   DRAWINGS 
IN   THE   TEXT   BY    BRUCE    HORSFALL 

Fourth  Edition 


CHICAGO 

A.   C.   McCLURG  &  CO. 
1916 


COPYRIGHT 

A.    C.    McCLURG    &    Co. 

1903 


Published  February  20,  1904 


Stack 
Annex 


TO 

MY    MOTHER 


2003717 


NOTE   OF   ACKNOWLEDGMENT 

WHILE,  in  the  preparation  of  this  work,  I  have 
met  with  universal  kindness  from  the  ever- 
hospitable  Californians,  my  especial  thanks  are  due 
to  members  of  the  Cooper  Club  and  to  Dr.  David  Starr 
Jordan,  of  Leland  Stanford  University,  for  many  cour- 
tesies extended  and  kindly  encouragement  given.  For 
advice  and  assistance  I  am  also  indebted  to  Mr.  Chas. 
F.  Lummis,  Mr.  Leverett  M.  Loomis,  Mr.  John  Muir, 
Mr.  Joseph  Grinnell,  Mr.  H.  R.  Taylor,  and  the  late 
Chester  A.  Barlow.  But  it  is  to  my  fellow-student 
and  co-laborer,  my  husband,  Mr.  Harry  B.  Wheelock, 
that  I  owe  most.  With  untiring  patience  he  has 
read  manuscript,  checked  lists,  and  corrected  errors, 
thereby  making  it  possible  for  me  to  go  on  in  the 
face  of  many  obstacles. 

I.  G.  W. 


INTRODUCTORY 

CALIFORNIA  is  the  land  of  sunshine,  flowers, 
^-'  and  bird  song.  In  the  great  sweep  of  country 
from  Mexico  on  the  south  to  Oregon  on  the  north 
are  found  climatic  conditions  ranging  from  the  Arctic 
circle  to  the  tropics.  The  valleys  blossom  with  roses, 
while  the  mountains  are  crowned  with  perpetual 
snow.  Hence  we  find  a  flora  and  fauna  as  unique 
as  the  climate.  It  is  the  paradise  of  the  bird-lover 
as  well  as  of  the  tourist.  Birds  of  the  Torrid  Zone 
come  here ;  birds  of  Alaska  winter  here ;  birds  from 
the  mountains  come  down  into  the  valleys.  There 
is  a  constant  -movement  north  and  south,  a  lesser 
one  vertically  from  the  warm  lowlands  to  the  colder 
altitudes,  or  vice  versa. 

To  live  among  these  fascinating  feathered  folk 
and  not  long  to  know  them,  one  must  have  eyes  that 
see  not  and  ears  deaf  to  Nature's  music.  Yet  the 
bird-lover  who  wishes  to  enjoy  an  acquaintance  with 
them  without  scientific  study  finds  his  road  beset  with 
difficulties.  From  the  scientific  works  that  seem  to 
him  hopelessly  abstruse  he  turns  to  the  "  popular  "  bird 
book,  which  is  delightful  but  does  not  help  him  to 


x  INTRODUCTORY 

identify  his  "bird  neighbors."  It  is  in  the  hope  of 
meeting  this  need  and  affording  an  introduction  to 
the  birds  more  commonly  found  in  California  that  this 
non-technical  work  is  offered.  Keys  have  been  avoided 
and  a  simple  classification,  according  to  habitat  or  color, 
substituted,  following  the  excellent  plan  used  by  Neltje 
Blantjan,  which  has  never  been  excelled  for  easy  iden- 
tification. 

In  selecting  these  three  hundred  from  the  five  hun- 
dred varieties  listed  as  occurring  within  the  confines 
of  the  State  and  adjacent  islands,  no  arbitrary  rule  has 
been  followed,  the  author  being  guided  by  her  own 
experience  in  field  work  among  them.  During  a  test 
study  in  1902,  the  ground  covered  was  from  Mexico  to 
Oregon,  and  from  the  islands  off  the  coast  to  the  eastern 
slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada ;  and  in  this,  two  hundred 
and  forty  odd  species  were  commonly  met  with,  while 
the  others  were  by  no  means  rare.  The  observations 
were  made  in  the  desert  region  along  the  California  side 
of  the  Colorado  River,  and  at  Tia  Juana,  San  Diego, 
Riverside,  Redlands,  Pasadena,  San  Pedro,  Santa  Cata- 
lina,  in. the  Santa  Cruz  Mountains,  Monterey,  Pacific 
Grove,  Palo  Alto,  Alviso,  San  Francisco  Bay  region, 
Martinez,  the  Farallones,  Mt.  Tamalpais,  Mt.  Shasta, 
Sacramento,  Slippery  Ford,  Lake  Tahoe,  Fallen  Leaf 
Lake,  Eagle  Lake,  and  Lake  Tulare.  This  list  is 
given  for  the  benefit  of  bird-loving  tourists  who 
may  wish  to  do  likewise. 


INTRODUCTORY  xi 

Of  the  birds  occurring  in  the  State  and  not  men- 
tioned in  this  volume  forty  are  ducks  and  geese,  the 
rest  being  either  rare  migrants  or  subspecies,  confus- 
ing to  the  observer  and  usually  impossible  to  differ- 
entiate without  a  gun.  The  seabirds,  usually  omitted 
from  non-technical  bird  books  in  the  East,  are  so 
conspicuous  a  part  of  California  Avifauna  that 
no  work  on  the  subject  would  be  complete  without 
them. 

Field  notes  begun  in  1894,  and  made  with  the  aid 
of  powerful  binoculars,  form  the  basis  of  the  follow- 
ing pages.  The  books  used  for  reference,  wherever  the 
author's  personal  observations  were  unsatisfactory, 
are  "  Ridg way's  Manual  of  North  American  Birds, " 
Bendire's  "  Life  Histories, "  Loomis's  "  Water  Birds 
of  California,"  Mrs.  Bailey's  "  Manual  of  Birds  of 
the  Western  United  States,"  Davie's  "  Nests  and 
Eggs  of  North  American  Birds,"  "  The  Condor,  " 
"The  Auk,"  "The  Nidologist,"  Nelson's  "Report 
of  Birds  of  Alaska,"  and  Mr.  Grinnell's  "  Check-list 
of  California  Birds."  The  check-list  numbers  and 
nomenclature  of  the  American  Ornithologist  Union 
have  been  strictly  adhered  to. 

No  originality  is  claimed  for  the  technical  descrip- 
tions of  the  birds,  as  on  this  point  the  author  has 
drawn  freely  from  standard  authorities,  oftentimes 
verbatim,  when  a  personal  examination  of  specimens 
was  impossible. 


xii  INTRODUCTORY 

It  has  been  a  difficult  matter  to  collect  facts  for  the 
breeding  range  and  season  because  there  is  no  pub- 
lished data  on  the  subject;  but  the  work  has  been 
conscientiously  done,  and  every  precaution  taken  to 
prevent  possible  errors.  The  dates  given  include  the 
earliest  and  latest  at  which  eggs  or  newly  hatched 
young  are  usually  found.  It  will  be  seen  from  this 
that  especial  attention  has  been  given  to  the  habits  of 
each  species  during  the  reproduction  period,  including 
nest-building,  incubation,  care  of  the  young,  etc.,  all  of 
which,  unless  otherwise  accredited,  has  been  taken 
from  the  author's  own  notes. 

Long  and  careful  study  of  the  feeding  habits  of 
young  birds  in  California  and  the  Eastern  United 
States  has  led  the  author  to  make  some  statements 
which  may  incur  the  criticism  of  ornithologists  who 
have  not  given  especial  attention  to  the  subject.  For 
instance,  —  that  the  young  of  all  macrochires,  wood- 
peckers, perching  birds,  cuckoos,  kingfishers,  most 
birds  of  prey,  and  many  seabirds  are  fed  by  regurgita- 
tionfrom  the  time  of  hatching  through  a  period  varying 
in  extent  from  three  days  to  four  weeks,  according  to  the 
species.  Furthermore,  that  birds  eating  animal  flesh 
or  large  insects  give  fresh  (unregurgitated)  food  to 
their  young  at  a  correspondingly  earlier  stage  of  devel- 
opment than  do  those  varieties  which  subsist  on  small 
insects  or  seeds.  Also,  that  exclusive  seed  eaters  are 
usually  fed  by  regurgitation  so  long  as  they  remain  in 


INTRODUCTORY  xiii 

the  nest.  Out  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  cases  recorded 
by  the  author,  in  every  instance  where  the  young  were 
hatched  in  a  naked  or  semi-naked  condition  they  were 
fed  in  this  manner  for  at  least  three  days.  In  some 
instances  the  food  was  digested,  wholly  or  in  part ; 
in  others  it  was  probably  swallowed  merely  for  con- 
venience in  carrying,  and  was  regurgitated  in  an  un- 
digested condition.  There  seemed  to  be  no  definite 
relation  between  the  duration  of  the  period  of  regurgi- 
tative  feeding  and  the  length  of  time  required  for 
the  full  development  of  the  fledgeling.  Young  vul- 
tures were  fed  in  this  way  for  ten  days,  and  stayed  in 
the  nest  nine  weeks.  Young  robins  received  their 
food  by  this  process  three,  occasionally  four,  days, 
and  usually  took  flight  on  the  fifteenth  day.  Hum- 
ming-birds, swallows,  and  a  few  others  are  fed  by 
regurgitation  so  long  as  they  remain  in  the  nest. 
Goldfinches,  waxwings,  and  others  are  nourished  in 
this  way,  with  an  occasional  meal  of  raw  food,  until 
they  are  ready  to  fly.  The  list  is  a  long  one,  and  as 
most  if  not  all  of  these  instances  are  mentioned  in 
their  individual  biographies,  given  in  this  volume, 
they  need  not  be  cited  here.  Scientists  have  long 
known  that  pigeons,  doves,  and  humming-birds  feed 
their  young  in  this  manner,  and  the  discovery  that 
most  species  do  likewise  need  cause  no  surprise. 

IRENE  GROSVENOR  WHEELOCK. 

CHICAGO,  January  1,  1904. 


ilf- 


IDENTIFICATION 

THE  accompanying  chart  of  a  bird  will  explain  the  terms 
used  in  the  descriptions.  "Upper  parts"  refers  to  the 
entire  upper  surface  of  the  body  of  the  bird  from  the  bill 
to  the  tail.  In  the  same  manner,  "Under  parts"  refers 
to  the  under  surface. 

In  identifying,  decide  first  into  which  class  the  bird  you 
are  observing  is  likely  to  belong,  —  that  is,  whether  land 
or  water  birds.  If  water,  whether  it  is  found  on  the  open 
sea,  or  near  shore,  or  in  bayous  or  marshes,  and  whether 
it  is  a  swimmer  or  a  wader,  and  then  look  for  it  in  the  list 
where  you  think  it  may  belong.  Always  ascertain  as  near 
as  you  can  the  bird's  length,  and  remember,  in  judging 
length,  that  a  bird  usually  looks  smaller  than  he  actually 
measures.  If  the  bird  is  among  the  land  birds,  and  is 
neither  a  game  bird  nor  a  bird  of  prey,  trace  it  down  in  the 
color  classification. 


USE   OF  THE   MAP 

THE  four  Life  Zones  indicated  on  the  accompanying 
map  are  those  mentioned  in  the  data  given  under  the 
headings  Geographical  Distribution  and  Breeding  Range. 
They  represent  climatic  conditions  of  temperature  in  the 
regions  indicated.  'The  "Boreal"  extends  from  the  tree- 
less, snowclad  summits,  far  above  the  timber-line  down 
through  the  coniferous  forests.  Next  in  coldness  is  the 
"Transition,"  which  begins  at  the  Yellowpines,  overlap- 
ping the  Boreal  a  little,  and  containing  some  species  of 
oaks,  buckbrush,  manzani'ta,  and  some  sagebrush.  Lying 
between  the  Transition  and  the  almost  tropical  heat  of 
the  "Lower  Sonoran  "  is  the  "Upper  Souoran,"  where 
we  find  the  juniper,  oaks,  piuon  pines,  and  sagebrush. 
Last  of  all,  the  "Lower  Sonoran"  is  the  warmest.  In  it 
lie  the  hot  valleys  and  desert  regions  of  California,  and 
here  flourish  the  live  oaks  and  mesquites.  Many  Cali- 
fornia birds  migrate  from  one  to  another  of  these  zones 
between  breeding  seasons,  as  the  birds  of  the  Eastern 
United  States  migrate  north  and  south.  This  changing 
from  lower  to  higher  altitude,  or  the  reverse,  is  termed 
vertical  migration. 


CONTENTS 


PART   L— WATER    BIRDS 


BIRDS   OF   THE   OPEN   SEA 


Tufted  Puffin      

3      Black-footed  Albatross       .     . 

17 

Rhinoceros  Auklet  .... 

5      Short-tailed  Albatross  .     .     . 

18 

Cassin  Auklet                      .     . 

6       Pacific  Fulmar     

19 

Ancient  Murrelet     .... 

7       Black-vented  Shearwater  .     . 

20 

Marbled  Murrelet     .... 

10       Dark-bodied  Shearwater    .     . 

21 

Xantus  Murrelet      .... 

11       Kaeding  Petrel    

22 

Pigeon  Guillemot     .... 

12       Black  Petrel  

2:3 

California  Miu-re      .... 

13       Ashy  Petrel    

24 

Parasitic  Jaeger  

16       Man-o'-War  Bird      .... 

26 

BIRDS  FOUND  NEAR  THE  SHORE  OR  IN  BAYS 

Loon     

27      Forster  Tern  

44 

Pacific  Loon   

30       Least  Tern      . 

45 

Red-throated  Loon  .... 

31       American  Black  Tern    .     .     . 

46 

Glaucous-winged  Gull  .     .     . 

32      Farallone  Cormorant    .     .     . 

48 

Western  Gull      

34      Brandt  Cormorant   .... 

50 

Herring  Gull  

37      Baird  Cormorant 

52 

California  Gull    

39      American  White  Pelican    .     . 

53 

Ring-billed  Gull  

40       California  Brown  Pelican  .     . 

55 

Heennann  Gull 

41       Whistlino-  Swan 

56 

Bonaparte  Gull    

42       Trumpeter  Swan       .... 

57 

Royal  Tern     

43 

BIRDS   FOUND 

ALONG   THE   BEACHES 

Wilson  Phalarope     .... 

58       Red-backed  Sandpiper,  or  Ox 

American  Avocet     .... 

60          Bird  

66 

Black-necked  Stilt  .... 

62       Western  Sandpiper  .... 

67 

Long-billed  Dowitcher  .     .     . 

63       Sanderling      

68 

Least  Sandpiper,   or  Meadow 

Greater  Yellow-legs  .... 

69 

Oxeve     . 

65      Wandering  Tattler  . 

71 

CONTENTS 


Spotted  Sandpiper 


billed  Curlew 

73 

Snowy  Plover 

78 

Hudsonian    Curlew,    or  Jack 

Black  Turnstone      .... 

80 

Curlew                   .... 

75 

Black  Ovster-catcher     . 

81 

BIRDS  FOUND  IN 

BAYOUS   AND   MARSHES 

Western  Grebe  

82 

Anthony  Green  Heron     .     . 

96 

American  Eared  Grebe     .     . 

84 

Black-crowned  Night  Heron 

97 

Pied-billed  Grebe   .... 

86 

Sandhill  Crane  

98 

White-faced  Glossy  Ibis  .     . 

89 

California  Clapper  Rail    .     . 

99 

American  Bittern   .... 

90 

Virginia  Rail     

101 

Least  Bittern     

91 

Sora,  or  Carolina  Kail      .     . 

102 

Tregauza    Blue    Heron,     or 

California  Black  Rail       .     . 

104 

Blue  Crane 

93 

Florida    Gallinule,    or    Red- 

American  Egret      .... 

94 

billed  Mud-hen'.     .     .     . 

105 

Snowy  Heron    

95 

American  Coot  

107 

FART   II.— LAND   BIRDS 


I. -UPLAND   GAME   BIRDS 


Wilson  Snipe  .  .  .  . 
Mountain  Plover  .  .  . 
Mountain  Partridge  .  , 
Plumed  Partridge  . 

.     Ill 
.     113 
.     114 
115 

Gambel  Partridge  .... 
Sierra  Sooty  Grouse  .  .  . 
Oregon  Ruffed  Grouse  .  . 
Sage  Grouse  . 

122 
124 
126 
127 

California  Partridge  .  , 
Valley  Partridge  .  .  , 

,     .     118 
.     .     120 

Band-tailed  Pigeon  .  .  . 
Mourning  Dove  .... 

130 
132 

II.— BIRDS 

California  Vulture,  or  Condor  134 

Turkey  Vulture      .     .     .    '.  136 

White-tailed  Kite  ....  138 

Marsh  Hawk 139 

Western  Sharp-shinned 

Hawk 142 

Cooper  Hawk 143 

Prairie  Falcon 145 

Western  Red-tailed  Hawk    .  147 

Red-bellied  Hawk  ....  149 


OF   PREY 

Swainson  Hawk      ....  150 

Ferruginous  Rough-leg    .     .  153 

Golden  Eagle 154 

Bald  Eagle 156 

Duck  Hawk 158 

Pigeon  Hawk    .....  159 

Desert  Sparrow  Hawk     .     .  161 
Fish    Hawk,    or    American 

Osprey 163 

American  Barn  Owl     .     .     .  166 


CONTENTS 


xxi 


American  Long-eared  Owl  .  168 
Short-eared  Owl  ....  169 
California  Screech  Owl  .  .  171 


Pacific  Horned  Owl     .     .     .     173 

Burrowing  Owl 175 

Pygmy  Owl 178 


III.  — COMMON  LAND   BIRDS   IN  COLOR  GROUPS 
With  Brmon  Predominating  in  Plumage 


Road-runner 181 

California  Cuckoo  ....  185 

Red-shafted  Flicker     ...  188 
Dusky  Poorwill,  or  California 

Poorwill 192 

California  Nighthawk      .     .  194 

Texan  Nighthawk  ....  197 

Say  Phoebe 199 

Western  Wood  Pewee  .  .  202 
Pallid  Horned  Lark,  or  Des- 
ert Horned  Lark  ...  204 
California  Horned  Lark  .  .  208 
Ruddy  Horned  Lark  ...  208 
Streaked  Horned  Lark  .  .  209 
Gray-crowned  Leucosticte  .  209 
Pine  Siskin,  or  Pine  Finch  .  211 
Western  Vesper  Sparrow .  .  213 
Western  Savanna  Sparrow  .  215 
Bryant  Marsh  Sparrow  .  .216 
Belding  Marsh  Sparrow  .  .  217 
Large-billed  Sparrow  .  .  .  218 
Western  Grasshopper-Sparrow  219 
Western  Lark  Sparrow  .  .  221 
White-crowned  Sparrow  .  .  222 
Gambel  Sparrow,  or  Inter- 
mediate Sparrow  .  .  .  224 
Nuttall  Sparrow  ....  225 
Golden-crowned  Sparrow .  .  225 
Western  Chipping  Sparrow  .  227 
Brewer  Sparrow  ....  228 
Black-chinned  Sparrow  .  .  230 
Thurber  Junco,  or  Sierra 

Junco 231 

Point  Pinos  Junco  .               .  234 


Bell  Sparrow 236 

Sage  Sparrow 237 

Rufous-crowned  Sparrow .  .  239 

Desert  Song  Sparrow  .  .  .  240 

Mountain  Song  Sparrow  .  .  242 

Heerman  Song  Sparrow  .  .  243 

Samuels  Song  Sparrow  .  .  243 

Rusty  Song  Sparrow  .  .  .  244 

Lincoln  Sparrow  ....  244 

Townsend  Sparrow  .  .  .  245 

Thick-billed  Sparrow  ...  247 

Stephens  Sparrow  ....  248 

Californian  Towhee  ...  248 

Anthony  Towhee  ....  250 

Green-tailed  Towhee  .  .  .  251 

Black-headed  Grosbeak  .  .  253 

Cliff  Swallow 256 

Rough-winged  Swallow  .  .  258 

Cedar  Waxwing  ....  259 

American  Pipit 262 

Water  Ouzel,  or  American 

Dipper 264 

Sage  Thrasher 268 

Californian  Thrasher  ...  270 

Pasadena  Thrasher .  ...  272 

Leconte  Thrasher  ....  273 

Crissal  Thrasher  ....  274 

Cactus  Wren  .  '  .  .  .  .  276 

Rock  Wren 279 

Canon  Wren 281 

Dotted  Canon  Wren  ...  282 

Vigors  Wren 284 

Parkman  Wren,  or  Pacific 

House  Wren  .                    .  285 


XXI 1 


CONTENTS 


Western  Winter  Wren     .     .  287 

TuleWren 289 

Interior  Tule  Wren,  or  West- 
ern Marsh  Wren      ...  292 
Californian  Creeper     ...  293 

Sierra  Creeper 293 

Pallid  Wren-tit .     .     .     .     .  296 

Californian  Bush-tit    ...  298 

Chestnut-backed  Chickadee  .  301 


Coast  Wren-tit  .... 
Townsend  Solitaire  .  . 
Russet-backed  Thrush  . 
Audubon  Hermit  Thrush, 
Sierra  Hermit  Thrush  . 
Dwarf  Hermit  Thrush  . 
Western  Robin  .... 
Varied  Thrush  .... 


302 
303 
306 

307 
309 
309 
311 


With  Dusky,  Gray,  and  Slate-Colored  Plumage 


Belted  Kingfisher   .     .     . 
Vaux  Swift   

.     313 

317 

Western  Mockingbird 
Slender-billed  Nuthatch  . 

.     340 
.     342 

Arkansas  Kingbird      .     . 
Cassin  Kingbird      .     .     . 
Ash-throated  Flycatcher  . 

.     318 
.     322 
.     324 

Red-breasted  Nuthatch    . 
Pygmy  Nuthatch   .     .     . 
Plain  Titmouse 

.     344 
.     345 
348 

Oregon  Jay   
Clarke  Nutcracker  ...     . 
Oregon  Junco    .... 
Bank  Swallow   .... 
White-rumped  Shrike 
California  Shrike    .     .     . 

.     327 
.     329 
.     333 
.     334 
.     336 
.     337 

Mountain  Chickadee   .     . 
Californian  Chickadee 
Lead-colored  Bush-tit  .     . 
Western  Gnatcatcher  .     . 
Black-tailed  Gnatcatcher 

.     350 
.     353 
.     354 
.     356 
.     358 

Plumage  Conspicuously  Black  and  White 


Harris  Woodpecker     .     .     . 

Cabanis  Woodpecker  .     .     . 

Gairdner  Woodpecker      .     . 

Nuttall  Woodpecker   .     .     . 

White-headed  Woodpecker  . 

Arctic  Three-toed  Wood- 
pecker   

Williamson  Sapsucker     .     . 

Northern  Pileated  Wood- 
pecker   

Californian  Woodpecker  ..     . 

Gila  Woodpecker    .     .     .     . 


360  White-throated  S'wift  .     .     . 

361  Western  Black  Phoebe     .     . 

363  Black-billed  Magpie    .     .     . 

364  Yellow-billed  Magpie       .     . 
366      White-necked  Raven        .     . 

Bobolink       ....... 

368      Spurred  Towhee     .... 

370  Oregon  Towhee 

Lark  Bunting 

372  Phainopepla 

376  Black -throated  Gray  Warbler 
378 


Plumage  Black  or  Iridescent  Black 


Black  Swift  .  . 
American  Raven 
Western  Crow  . 


404 
405 
408 


Cowbird   .     .     . 
Brewer  Blackbird 
Western  Martin 


379 
381 
383 
387 
389 
390 
393 
394 
396 
398 
401 


411 
412 

415 


CONTENTS 


Plumage  Green,  Greenish  Gray,  and  Olive 


Black-chinned  Humming- 
bird 

417 
420 
423 
426 
429 
431 
433 
436 
439 
441 
442 

'.spicu 

462 
465 
466 

470 
473 

Blue 

485 
489 
490 

Northern  Violet-green  Swal- 
low 

445 

447 
448 
451 
453 
454 
455 
.  457 

458 
459 

474 
475 
476 
478 
480 
481 
483 

500 
502 

Costa  Hummingbird   .     .     . 
Anna  Hummingbird    .     .     . 
Rufous  Hummingbird 
Allen  Hummingbird   .     .     . 
Calliope  Hummingbird     .     . 
Olive-sided  Flycatcher     .     . 
Western  Flycatcher     .     .     . 
Traill  Flycatcher    .... 
Hammond  Flycatcher      .     . 
Wright  Flycatcher      .     .     . 

Red  Cm 

Red-breasted  Sapsucker   .     . 
Lewis  Woodpecker      .     .     . 
Vermilion  Flycatcher  . 
San  Diego  Red-winged  Black- 
bird   

Western  Warbling  Vireo 
Cassin  Vireo      
Hutton  Vireo     

Least  Vireo  
Gray  Vireo 

Lutescent  Warbler      .     .     . 
Dusky  Warbler       .... 
Western  Golden-crowned 
Kinglet 

Western  Ruby-crowned 
Kinglet     .... 

ous  in  Plumage 

Bicolored  Blackbird     .     .     . 
Tricolored  Blackbird   .     .     . 
California  Pine  Grosbeak  . 
California  Purple  Finch  .     . 
Cassin  Purple  Finch    .     .     . 
House  Finch,  or  Linnet  .     . 
Bendire  Crossbill    .... 

Conspicuous  in  Plumage 

Barn  Swallow    
'  White-bellied    Swallow,     or 
Tree  Swallow      .... 

Sonoran  Red-winged  Black- 
bird   

Blue  or  Metallic 
Grinnell  Jay 

Blue-fronted  Jay    .... 
California  Jay    . 

Pifion  Jay 493 

Western  Blue  Grosbeak   .     .     496 
Lazuli  Bunting       ....     498 


Western  Bluebird  ....     505 
Mountain  Bluebird      ...     506 


Yellow  or  Orange  Conspicuous  in  Plumage 


Yellow-headed  Blackbird      .  508 

Western  Meadowlark  .     .     .  511 

Scott  Oriole  ...'...  514 

Arizona  Hooded  Oriole     .     .  517 

Bullock  Oriole 519 

Western  Evening  Grosbeak  .  523 

Willow  Goldfinch   ....  525 

California  Goldfinch     .  '  .     .  528 


Lawrence  Goldfinch    .     .     . 

Louisiana  Tanager,  or  West- 
ern Tanager  

Calaveras  Warbler .... 

California  Yellow  Warbler   . 

Yellow-rum  ped  Warbler,  or 
Myrtle  Warbler  .  .  . 

Audubon  Warbler  . 


529 

530 
533 

535 

537 
.     538 


xxiv 


CONTENTS 


Townsend  Warbler 
Hermit  Warbler     . 
Maegillivray  Warbler 
Pacific  Yellow-throat 


540  Long-tailed  Chat    ....  549 

542  Golden  Pileoiated  Warbler  .  552 

545  Verdin     .......  554 

546 


SUPPLEMENTARY  LIST 559 

INDEX      ...  .569 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

SAGE  GROUSE Frontispiece 

IDENTIFICATION  CHART  OF  BIRD xiv 

MAP  OF  ZONES xvi 

TUFTED  PUFFIN.  "  As  a  puppy  enjoys  a  bone  " 4 

ANCIENT  MURRELET.  "If  a  white-cap  developed  near  them,  they 

would  always  escape  it  by  diving  " 8 

PIGEON  GUILLEMOT.  "  The  Baby  Guillemot " 12 

ASHY  PETREL.  "  The  playmate  of  the  grim  old  sea  "  ....  25 

LOON.  "  The  young  loons  are  taken  into  the  water  " 29 

WESTERN  GULL.  "  The  young  gull  is  taught  to  fish  "  ....  35 
AMERICAN  BLACK  TEIIX.  "As  it  picks  dragon-flies  from  the  low 

rushes" 47 

BRA.NDT  CORMORANT To  face  page  50 

WILSON  PHALAROPE.  "  Picking  up  their  own  food  before  they 

were  ten  hours  old  " 59 

SANDERLING.  "  A  game  of  tag  with  the  ocean  " 69 

HUDSONIAN  CURLEW.  "  When  alighting " 75 

AMERICAN  EARED  GREBE.  When  tired,  they  are  given  a  ride  on 

the  mother's  back 85 

WHITE-FACED  GLOSSY  IBIS.  "  Watching  for  minnows  in  the 

shallow  water " 89 

VIRGINIA  RAIL.  "  Picking  his  way  cautiously  between  the  tules  "  101 

CALIFORNIA  PARTRIDGE.  '  It  haunts  the  canons  and  slopes"  .  119 

MOURNING  DOVE.  "  A  platform  of  sticks  " 133 

CALIFORNIA  VULTURE,  OR  CONDOR To  face  page  134 

WHITE-TAILED  KITE.  "  Preying  upon  the  field  mice  ".  ...  139 
PRAIRIE  FALCON.  "  Not  even  the  bald  eagle  can  strike  such 

terror  to  a  flock  of  grouse  " 146 


xxvi  ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE 

SWAINSON  HAWK.  "\Vaitsilentlyuntilthepreyappears"  .  .  151 

BURROWING  OWL.  "  They  converse  in  soft  love  notes "  .  .  .  176 

ROAD-RUNNER To  face  page  181 

CALIFORNIA  CUCKOO.  "  He  was  busy  feasting  where  the  tent 

caterpillars  nested" 187 

NIGHTHAWK.  "  Crept  back  as  often  as  she  was  driven  away  "  .196 

SAY  PHCEBE.  "  The  industrious  little  mother  repairs  the  nest "  .  201 
GRAY -CROWNED  LEUCOSTICTE.  "Searching  in  the  snow  for  beetles 

and  bugs" 210 

LARGE-BILLED  SPARROW.  "It  haunts  the  wharves  and  break- 
waters"    219 

WESTERN  LARK  SPARROW.  "The  singer" 221 

GOLDEN-CROWNED  SPARROW.  "Their  food  is  chiefly  weed  seeds 

and  winter  berries  " 226 

THURBER  JUNCO.  "They  protested  with  plaintive  calls"  .  .  .  232 

SAGE  SPARROW.  "  He  sings  to  his  mate,  not  to  you  "  .  .  .  .  238 
DESERT  SONG  SPARROW.  "  In  rain  or  shine,  he  is  the  same  jolly 

fellow" 241 

TOWNSEND  SPARROW.  "  The  way  he  digs  for  his  supper  "  .  .  246 

GREEN-TAILED  TOWHEE.  "  A  manner  distinctly  his  own  "  .  .  252 
BLACK-HEADED  GROSBEAK.  "His  little  brown  throat  swelling 

with  music"  .  .  .  .- 254 

AMERICAN  PIPIT.  "  Up  to  the  very  highest  peaks  they  wander  "  263 

WATER  OUZEL,  OR  AMERICAN  DIPPER  .  ...  To  face  page  264 

LECONTE  THRASHER.  "  He  loves  the  barrenness  of  the  desert"  .  274 

CACTUS  .  WREN.  "  A  long,  purse-shaped  affair  " 278 

TULE  WREN .To  face  page  289 

SIERRA  CREEPER.  "  He  offers  his  sweetheart  a  fat  grub  "  .  .  .  295 

CALIFORNIAN  BUSH-TIT To  face  page  298 

TOWNSEND  SOLITAIRE.  "Remained  there  singing  when  the 

shadows  of  evening  closed  over  the  scene  " 304 

RUSSET-BACKED  THRUSH.  "  Only  at  twilight  and  in  the  earliest 

dawn  may  one  hear  the  rich  sweet  song  of  this  shy  singer  "  .  .  307 

VARIED  THRUSH.  "  Silent  and  shy  " 312 

BELTED  KINGFISHER.  "  He  strikes  again  and  again  "  .  .  .  .  315 

ARKANSAS  KINGBIRD.  "  Watching  with  a  great  show  of  alertness  "  319 


ILLUSTRATIONS  xxvii 

PAGE 

OREGON  JAY.     "  Not  a  single  blue  feather  " 328 

CLARKE   NUTCRACKER To  face  page  329 

WHITE-RUMPED  SHRIKE.     "  Impaling  their  prey  on  thorns  "  .     .  337 

PYGMY  NUTHATCH.    "  Both  birds  worked  busily  carrying  feathers  "  347 
PLAIN   TITMOUSE.      "Busily  carrying  short  hair,   feathers,   and 

wool " 349 

MOUNTAIN  CHICKADEE.     "  The  birds  were  very  fearless ".     .       .  352 
BLACK-TAILED  GNATCATCHER.     "  He  was  a  bewitching  little  gray 

ball  of  feathers  " 359 

CABANIS  WOODPECKER.     "  Both  sexes  share  the  labors  of  excavat- 
ing"   362 

WHITE-HEADED  WOODPECKER.     "  Where  the  bark  is  thickest  and 

roughest " 367 

NORTHERN   PILEATED   WOODPECKER.      "After  a  few  trials  he 

learns  to  hammer  right  merrily" 374 

CALIFORNIAN  WOODPECKER To  face  page  376 

WHITE-THROATED  SWIFT.     "  Its  nesting  site  is  the  most  inaccessi- 
ble cliff " 380 

BOBOLINK.     "  While  his  demure  sweetheart  listens  " 392 

PHAINOPEPLA To  face  page  398 

BLACK-THROATED  GRAY  WARBLER.      "They  lean  away  over  to 

peer  under  every  leaf  " 403 

BLACK  SWIFT.     "  While  flying  swiftly  through  the  air  "      .     .     .  404 

BLACK-CHINNED  HUMMINGBIRD.   "  Lit  daintily  a  few  inches  away  "  418 
ANNA  HUMMINGBIRD.     "  Upon  a  wire  clothes-line,  and  squeaking 

right  merrily " 424 

CALLIOPE  HUMMINGBIRD.     "  It  feeds  upon  the  painted  cups  "      .  432 
NORTHERN  VIOLET-GREEN  SWALLOW.      "  It  is  a  lover  of  pine 

woods  and  mountain  forests  " 446 

GRAY  VIREO.     "  The  best  songster  of  all  the  vireos  "       ....  454 
RUBY-CROWNED  KINGLET.     "Only  an  expert  climber  can  hope  to 

peep  into  one " 461 

RED-BREASTED  SAPSUCKER.     "The  mother  watched  the  attempt 

to  drink  the  sweet  syrup  " 463 

VERMILION  FLYCATCHER.     "Pouring  out  his  joy  " 467 

SAN  DIEGO   RED-WINGED    BLACKBIRD.      "  A  spirit  of  reckless 

daring" 472 


xxviii  ILLUSTRATIONS 

CALIFORNIA  PIXE  GROSBEAK.     "He  seems  fairly  to  revel  in  the 

swirling  clouds  of  snow  " 477 

MEXICAN  CROSSBILL.     "  Head  down,  chickadee  fashion "    .     .     .  484 

STELLER  JAY.     "  Xowhere  are  they  welcome  " 487 

CALIFORNIA  JAY.     "  The  colder  the  better  " 491 

YELLOW-HEADED  BLACKBIRD.     "Beseechingly  from  the  cradle"  510 
SCOTT  ORIOLE.     "  He  will  peer  into  it  with  ludicrous  earnestness  "  516 
LOUISIANA  TANAGER.     "  A  dragonfly  had  been  captured  for  break- 
fast "       532 

AUDUBON  WARBLER.      "  Always  in  a  mad  chase  for  something  to 

eat"  .     . 539 

HERMIT  WARBLER.     "  With  her  beak  full  of  cobwebs"       ...  543 
LoNG-TAfLED  CHAT.     "Where  he  whistled  and  sang  from  dawn 

until  dark " 549 

PILEOLATED  WARBLER.     "  His  song  reminds  one  of  the  tinkle  of 

a  brooklet " 553 

VERDIN.     "  A  retort-shaped  affair " 555 


PART   I 
WATER   BIRDS 


BIRDS  OF  CALIFORNIA 


PART  I 
WATER   BIRDS 


BIRDS    OF    THE    OPEN   SEA 

12.    TUFTED    PUFFIN.  —  Lunda  cirrhata. 
FAMILY  :  The  Auks,  Murres,  and  Puffins. 

Length:  15.00. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Top  of  head,  wings,  back,  and  tail  uniform  blackish 
brown  ;  throat,  breast,  and,  belly  dark  grayish  brown  ;  cheeks,  fore- 
head, and  chin  white  ;  a  long  silky  tuft  of  yellow  feathers,  curved 
like  horns,  hanging  down  and  back  from  each  side  of  the  crown,  just 
back  of  the  eyes.  End  of  the  bill  bright  red,  base  greenish  yellow  ; 
feet  bright  red. 

Adults  in  Winter:  Tufts  wanting  ;  sides  of  head  dusky;  feet  and  bill 
duller;  horny  covering  at  base  of  bill  replaced  by  brown  skin. 

Doumy  Young:  Uniform  dark  gray  or  black. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Coasts  and  islands  of  the  North  Pacific  from 
Southern  California  to  Alaska. 

Breeding  Range :  From  the  Farallone  Islands  north  to  Behring  Sea. 

Breeding  Season:  Approximately,  June  1  to  August  1. 

Neat :  Usually  in  crevice  in  rock  ;  sometimes  a  burrow  is  excavated  in 
the  shale  ;  bare,  or  lined  with  coarse  weeds. 

Eggs:  1  ;  ranging  from  white  to  yellowish  buff,  variously  marked 
with  lilac  dots  at  both  ends  ;  or,  irregular,  indistinct  tan-color  spots 
over  entire  surface  ;  or,  having  nondescript  zigzag  markings.  Size 
2.81  X  1.89. 

THE  name  "  sea  parrot "  is  applied  to  all  puffins  on 
account  of  their   curious   parrot-like   bill.     The  Tufted 


4  WATER  BIRDS 

Puffin  breeds  extensively  on  the  Farallone  Islands  and, 

to  a  limited  extent,  on  Santa  Barbara  and  San  dementi 

and   Point   Reyes    Islands.     Its   single   egg  is   laid   in 

the  barest  semblance  of  a  nest  at  the  end  of  a  burrow, 

or  in  a  crevice  among  the  rocks,  or   often   under   the 

shelter  of  a  boulder.     Wherever  the  nest  may  be  it  is 

always     valiantly    defended,     and 

only   in    the    rare  absence  of 

both  parents  will  the  collec- 

tor rob  it.    The  only  child 

receives    all    the    atten- 

tion proverbially  given  to 

only  children,  for  the  nest  is 

never  left  unguarded  and  the  par- 

ents  make   a   fierce   fight   if    molested. 

The  young  puffin  is  an  odd- 

,      ,  .        ,    ,         „       .,    .   ,      .,  .  .        • 

looking  baby,  for  it  inherits        uAsamyenjoysabone."s* 

the   family   bill.     Otherwise  '    / 

it  looks  like  a  gray  rat  crouched  at  the  entrance  to 
its  home  run.  Both  adults  and  young  are  noisy,  con- 
stantly growling  from  their  burrows,  and  croaking 
when  outside  ;  this  with  their  odd  bill,  white  face- 
mask,  and  drooping  yellow  ear-tufts,  makes  them 
eerie  creatures  of  the  sea.  Their  food  consists  of  fish, 
mollusks,  and  Crustacea,  which  they  obtain  by  diving, 
using  both  wings  and  feet  to  propel  themselves  under 
water.  This  top-heavy  bird  is  exceedingly  awkward  on 
land,  and  especially  so  when  alighting  with  a  fish  in  its 
beak,  as  with  a  swinging  motion  it  drops  its  feet  very 
wide  apart.  In  feeding,  the  parent  holds  the  fish  or 


12.    TUFTED  PUFFIN 


>^  .  *•  . 
FIN.    *•• 
" 


BIRDS   OF   THE   OPEN   SEA  5 

crustacean  firmly  in  its  beak,  and  the  young  tear  bits 
from  it  with  snarling  whines,  somewhat  as  a  puppy 
enjoys  a  bone. 

The  young  bird  dives  or  is  shoved  off  from  the  rocks  to 
the  water,  both  parents  assisting  at  the  rather  startling 
debut  and,  apparently,  breaking  the  force  of  the  fall 
by  flying  under  the  little  one.  One  would  expect  a  bird 
so  uncouth  and  helpless  in  walking  to  be  particularly 
graceful  on  the  water,  but  this  is  not  the  case  with  the 
puffins,  for  they  swim  in  such  a  horizontal  position  as 
to  seem  even  more  ungraceful  than  on  land. 

15.    RHINOCEROS    AUKLET.  —  Cerorhinca   monocerata. 
FAMILY  :  The  Auks,  Murres,  and.  Puffins. 

Length:  15.00. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  uniform  grayish  black  ;  sides  of  head,  neck,  upper 
neck,  and  sides  dull  gray ;  lower  breast  and  belly  white,  washed  with 
gray  ;  a  row  of  narrow,  pointed  white  feathers  along  each  side  of 
occiput  ;  another  row  from  base  of  bill  across  cheek  to  ear. 

Nuptial  Plumage :  Base  of  upper  mandible  surmounted  by  a  compressed 
upright  horn,  the  base  of  which  clasps  the  mandible  as  a  saddle,  down 
to  and  inclosing  the  nostrils.  In  winter  this  is  replaced  by  leathery 
skin. 

Downy  Young :  Soft  gray-brown. 

Geographical  Distribution  ;  Coast  and  islands  of  the  North  Paciftp  from 
Behring  Sea  south  to  Lower  California  (resident). 

Breeding  Range:  From  Washington  northward  on  islands  near  the  coast. 

Breeding  Season :  Approximately,  June  1  to  August  20. 

Nest :  In  crevice  or  at  end  of  burrow,  2  to  4  feet  from  entrance,  some- 
times lined  with  refuse,  but  oftener  bare. 

Eggs:  1  ;  chalky  white,  with  faint  gray  markings.     Size  2.70  X  1.82. 

THE  Rhinoceros  Auklet  is  an  odd-looking  bird,  hav- 
ing a  short  chunky  body,  with  head  set  so  close  to 
its  shoulders  as  to  leave  no  neck  at  all,  and  legs  so 


6  WATER   BIRDS 

short  as  to  be  practically  invisible.  Floating  on  the 
water  it  seems  to  have  fallen  over  on  its  face  and  to  be 
unable  to  right  itself,  so  that  it  looks  much  more  like 
a  bit  of  wood  than  a  bird.  You  glance  at  it  carelessly, 
never  dreaming  that  it  may  be  alive,  when  suddenly  it 
dives,  leaving  no  trace.  In  a  moment  it  reappears  at 
some  distance  away,  only  to  dive  again  the  instant  you 
turn  in  its  direction.  It  is  perfectly  at  home  on  or  in 
the  water,  although  so  helpless  on  land,  and  can  swim 
a  long  distance  submerged. 

Largely  nocturnal  in  habits,  migrating  and  feeding  at 
night ;  it  hides  from  the  sun  in  burrows  or  behind  rocks 
during  the  day,  and  if  brought  into  the  strong  light  it 
blinks  like  an  owl.  At  night  it  flies  swiftly  in  flocks, 
with  peculiar,  plaintive  cries,  after  the  manner  of  the 
swift.  In  winter  it  is  found  on  most  of  the  islands 
along  the  coast  from  Tia  Juana  and  San  Diego  north. 
Migrates  in  flocks  about  May  1.  Is  recorded  from  Santa 
Catalina. 


16.    CASSI N    AUK  LET.  —  Ptychoramph  its  aleutiais. 
FAMILY  :  The  Auks,  Murres,  and  Puffins. 

Length:  8.75. 

Adults:  Above,  dark  slate-color,  merging  into  ashy  on  sides  of  head  and 

neck  ;  upper  breast  and  sides  slate  ;  lower  breast  and  belly  white  ;  a 

white  spot  on  lower  eyelids. 
Downy  Young :  Soft  brownish  gray. 
Geographical  Distribution  :  Pacific  coast  of  North  America  from  Alaska 

to  Lower  California. 

Breeding  Range :  From  San  Benito  Islands  northward. 
Breeding  Season :  Approximately,  April  1  to  September  1. 


BIRDS   OF   THE   OPEN   SEA  1 

Nest:  In  crevices  of  rocks,  under  edge  of  boulders,  or  in  shallow  burrow  ; 

unlined. 
Eggs:  1  ;  greenish  white.     Size  1.81  X  1.33. 

LIKE  the  rhinoceros  auklet,  Cassin's  Auklet  is  noc- 
turnal in  habit,  hiding  in  its  burrow  by  day  and  coming 
out  in  the  twilight  to  feed  and  fly.  Both  species  are 
expert  swimmers  and  divers,  obtaining  in  this  manner 
the  Crustacea  which  form  their  chief  diet.  On  stormy 
nights  they  may  be  heard  calling  to  each  other  above  the 
thunder  of  the  surf  and  the  fury  of  the  gale.  On  clear 
or  moonlight  nights  they  flit  like  huge  beetles  over  the 
shore,  with  continual  high-keyed  notes.  With  the  screams 
of  the  gulls  by  day  and  the  calls  of  the  auklets  by  night, 
the  rocky  islands  of  the  Pacific  coast  are  never  silent. 

The  Cassin  Auklets  are  resident  in  small  numbers  off 
the  coast  of  Southern  California  and  on  the  islands  of 
Santa  Catalina,  Santa  Barbara,  and  Santa  Cruz,  breeding 
locally  northward  along  their  range.  On  the  Farallones 
they  breed  in  great  numbers,  and  are  also  found  nesting 
abundantly  on  the  Netarte  Islands  and  along  the  rocky 
coast  of  British  Columbia.  Each  pair  will  usually  raise 
three  broods,  of  a  single  bird  each,  every  season.  The 
young  remain  in  the  nest  until  fully  feathered,  when  they 
are  able  to  fly,  swim,  and  dive  with  the  ease  of  adult  birds. 

21.    ANCIENT    MURRELET.  —  Synthliboramphus  antiquvs. 
FAMILY  :  The  Auks,  Murres,  and  Puffins. 

Length:  10.00. 

Breeding  Plumage :  Head  and  throat  black  ;  sides  of  neck,  line  on  each 
side  of  crown  to  nape,  white  ;  upper  back  gray,  streaked  laterally 
with  white  ;  back,  wings,  and  tail  brownish  gray,  blackish  on  prima- 
ries ;  sides  sooty  brown ;  breast  and  belly  white. 


8  WATER  BIRDS 

Winter  Plumage :  Throat  white;  upper  parts  uniform  dark  gray ;  under 
parts  white. 

Downy  Young :  Above,  soft  dark  gray  ;  lower  parts  and  throat  white. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Coasts  of  the  Northern  Pacific  from  Monte- 
rey northward  to  arctic  circle. 

Breeding  Range:  From  Sitka  northward. 

Breeding  Season:  June  and  July. 

Nest:  Unlined,  in  holes  in  a  bank  or  shallow  burrow. 

Eggs:  2 ;  deep  buff,  with  fine  markings  of  light  purplish  brown. 
Size  2.32  X  1.47. 

IN  "  California  Water  Birds,"  No.  IT.,  Mr.  Leverctt 
M.  Loomis  says  concerning  the  occurrence  of  the  Ancient 
Mnrrelet  at  Monterey  in 
midwinter:  "About  -  v 
five  hundred  yards 
from  the  surf  a  belt 
of  drift  kelp  extend- 
ing from  Seaside 
Laboratory  (^ 
around  Point 
Pin os  (Pacific 
Grove,  Cal.) 
had  gained  an 
anchorage. 
Thenar-  - 

"If  a  white-cap  developed  near  them, 
they  would  always  escape  it  by  diriitg." 

row   strip   between    this   and    the 
beach    was    the    favorite    resort   of 
"Ancient  Murrelete.     A  good   many  were 
<-   also  found  near  the  surf  in  the  little  coves  in 
-r^^the  direction  of  Monterey,  and  some  were  seen 
several   miles  out  from  the  land.     They  were  great 


BIRDS   OF  THE   OPEN   SEA  9 

divers  and  swimmers  under  water,  and  voracious  in  their 
pursuit  of  small  fry.  Unlike  marbled  murrelets  they  did 
not  seek  safety  in  flight  when  pursued.  Neither  did  they 
dive  as  soon  or  remain  as  long  under  water  when  keeping 
out  of  the  way  of  the  boat.  If  a  whitecap  developed 
near  them  they  would  always  escape  it  by  diving.  That 
this  little  Auk  leaves  its  summer  home  in  the  land  of  ice- 
bergs- and  comes  south  in  considerable  numbers  in  winter 
to  California  has  not  been  generally  known  to  ornithol- 
ogists." 

In  April  it  starts  north  again,  and  by  May  20  has 
reached  the  breeding  ground  in  Alaska.  Here  it  selects 
a  nesting  place,  either  a  deep  crevice  in  the  rock,  the 
abandoned  burrow  of  a  rabbit,  or  under  the  heavily 
matted  grass.  Under  the  grass  it  burrows  its  way  for 
two  or  three  feet,  and  there  scratches  out  a  small  cavity, 
lining  it  carefully  with  dry  grass  from  the  outside.  Here 
two  buff  eggs  are  laid.  These  are  brooded  by  one  bird 
during  the  day,  while  the  other  feeds  out  at  sea.  At 
night  they  change  places.  The  only  account  of  their 
nesting  habits  has  been  given  by  Mr.  Littlejohn,  who 
spent  some  time  with  them  on  an  Alaskan  island.  He 
describes  the  squeaky  noises  made  by  the  nocturnal  birds, 
murrelets,  auklets,  and  petrels,  as  effectually  banishing 
sleep.  "As  if  not  satisfied  with  the  constant  babble  of 
their  neighbors,  the  murrelets  took  especial  delight  in 
alighting  at  the  foot  of  the  A-shaped  tent,  toe-nailing 
it  up  to  the  ridgepole,  resting  there  a  moment,  and  then 
sliding  down  the  other  side." 


10  WATER  BIRDS 


23.    MARBLED   MURRELET.  —  Brackyramphus 
maiinoratus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Auks,  Murres,  and  Puffins. 

Length:  9.75. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Above  dusky,  barred  with  rusty  brown  ;  under  parts 
white,  each  feather  tipped  with  umber,  producing  a  mottled  effect. 

Adults  in  Winter :  Above  slate-gray  with  white  band  across  nape  ;  scap- 
ulars mixed  with  white,  and  feathers  of  back  tipped  with  brownish ; 
lower  parts  white,  more  or  less  mottled  with  gray. 

Young :  Above  uniform  dark  gray,  with  light  band  on  nape  more  or  less 
distinct.  Lower  parts  white,  mottled  with  gray. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  of  North  America  from  South- 
ern California  to  Alaska. 

Breeding  Range :  From  Oregon  coast  northward. 

Nest :  In  burrow  in  ground,  or  hole  in  bank,  or  crevice  in  cliff. 

Eggs:  1  ;  buffy,  marked  with  purple-brown.     Size  2.14  X  1.42. 

THE  Marbled  Murrelet  is  found  only  in  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  and  breeds  in  such  inaccessible  places  that  little 
is  known  of  its  habits.  The  adult  birds  and  young  are 
found  in  numbers  about  Vancouver  Island,  but  its  nest- 
ing sites  are  difficult  to  find.  It  is  more  common  along 
the  coast  of  British  Columbia  than  farther  south.  The 
best  authorities  seem  to  agree  that  the  nesting  habits  of 
this  species  are  like  those  of  the  ancient  murrelet  and 
their  usual  breeding  grounds  only  a  little  farther  south. 
In  California  they  are  common  near  the  coast  all  winter 
as  far  south  as  San  Diego.  At  Monterey  we  found 
them  exceedingly  timid,  diving  at  the  slightest  alarm 
and  impossible  to  approach.  Their  food  consists  of 
small  invertebrates,  which  they  pick  from  the  rocks  at 
some  distance  under  water. 


BIRDS   OF  THE   OPEN   SEA  11 

25.  XANTUS   MURRELET.  —  Endomychura 
hypoleuca. 

FAMILY  :  The  Auks,  Murres,  and  Puffins. 

Length:  10.00. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  plain  slaty  gray  ;  under  parts,  including  cheeks 
and  throat,  uniform  clear  white  ;  lining  of  wing  white ;  head  without 
ornamental  feathers  or  spines. 

Downy  Young :  Uniform  dusky  color  above,  light  gray  beneath. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Southern  California  to  Cape  St.  Lucas. 

Breeding  Range :  From  San  Diego  southward  on  coast  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia and  on  Coronado  Islands. 

Breeding  Season  :  Approximately,  March  1  to  June  1. 

Nest :  In  crevices  of  cliffs ;   usually  lined  with  coarse  grass. 

Eggs:  1 ;  light  buffy,  with  gray-brown  markings.     Size  2.05  X  1.50. 

THE  Xantus  Murrelet  is  a  common  resident  along  the 
coast  of  Southern  California  as  far  north  as  Monterey. 
Little  is  known  concerning  its  breeding  habits,  although 
it  nests  on  the  coast  from  San  Diego  south,  more  abun- 
dantly sout\i  of  the  Mexican  border.  It  is  numerous 
out  in  the  open  sea  south  of  Coronado  Islands  during 
the  breeding  season,  and  is  said  to  nest  on  the  Island 
of  San  dementi  as  well  as  Coronado.  It  is  found  in 
the  Santa  Barbara  Channel  at  all  seasons  of  the  year, 
and  without  doubt  a  few  nest  on  the  Santa  Barbara 
Islands  at  present,  though  the  breeding  ground  there 
is  reported  as  deserted  for  some  years. '  The  nesting 
habits  are  probably  not  unlike  those  of  its  Alaskan 
cousins  except  as  to  season. 


12  WATER  BIRDS 

29.    PIGEON   GUILLEMOT.—  Cepphus  columba. 
FAMILY  :  The  Auks,  Murres,  and  Puffins. 

Length:  13.50. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Uniform  blackish  except  wings,  where  black  basal 

half  runs  to  point,  making  a  black  wedge  between  two  white  patches  ; 

feet  red ;  bill  black  and  slender. 
Adults  in  Winter:  White,  varied  on  upper  parts  with  black  ;  wings  and 

tail  as  in  summer. 

Young:  Similar  to  winter  plumage  of  adult. 
Downy  Young :  Uniform  black  above,  under  parts  gray. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Coasts  and  islands  of  the  North  Pacific  from 

Behring  Strait  to  Southern  California. 
Breeding  Range :  From  San  Nicholas  Island  northward. 
Breeding  Season:  Approximately,  May  1  to  August  1. 
Nest :  Behind  or  under  boulders  or  in  dark  places,  as  near  the  water  as 

possible. 
Eggs :  2  ;  light  green-blue,  thickly  marked  with  lilac,  mostly  at  larger 

end.     Size  2.43  X  1.62. 

THE  Pigeon  Guillemot,  "so  like  a  guillemot  and  so  like 
a  pigeon,"  is  very  abundant  on  the  Farallones.  It  is  a 
pretty,  graceful  bird,  first  cousin  to  the  murre, 
which  it  somewhat  resembles,  being  of  a  soft, 
dark  brown  color.  Two  points  im- 
press you  at  first,  —  its  conspicuous 
scarlet  feet,  and  the  broad  white 
band  on  the  wing.  Like  many 
sea  birds,  it  stands  with  the  body  in 
a  vertical  position,  supported  by  the 
long  foot,  after  the  manner  of  a  penguin. 

Its  curious  nest  is  made  of  pebbles,  carried     29.  "  THE  BABY 

.  .  GUILLEMOT" 

one  by  one  in  its  bill  and  deposited  in  a 

circle  in  dark  crannies  of  the  rocks  or  hidden  under  boul- 
ders.   They  seem  to  serve  chiefly  as  a  rim  to  keep  the  eggs 


BIRDS   OF   THE   OPEN   SEA  13 

from  rolling  away.  The  breeding  ground  of  the  Pigeon 
Guillemot  is  that  also  occupied  by  the  gulls,  on  the 
lower  part  of  the  islands,  often  near  the  water's  edge. 
Yet  surrounded  on  every  side  by  the  nests  of  the  gulls 
and  living  near  neighbors  with  them,  they  seem  to  be 
the  only  birds  which  these  brigands  of  the  sea  do  not 
commonly  molest.  Probably  pigeon  eggs  are  not  to 
their  taste.  The  baby  Guillemot  when  first  hatched 
is  covered  with  thin  blackish  down  on  the  head,  neck, 
and  back,  shading  to  dark  gray  on  the  under  parts. 
There  is  no  conspicuous  coloring  to  betray  him  in  the 
dark  nesting  place,  for  even  his  feet  are  dull  olive  rather 
than  red  like  those  of  his  father.  As  with  our  own' 
land  pigeons,  the  family  always  consists  of  twins,  theo- 
retically a  male  and  a  female.  Like  the  land  pigeons, 
also,  they  are  fed  by  regurgitation  ;  but  here  the  resem- 
blance ends,  for  they  learn  to  dive  and  swim  almost  as 
soon  as  the  down  is  fairly  dry,  and  become  expert  in 
paddling  swiftly  with  their  heads  submerged,  in  a 
unique  and  very  amusing  fashion. 

30a.    CALIFORNIA    MURRE—  Una  troile  calif ornica. 
FAMILY  :  The  Auks,  Murres,  and  Puffins. 

Length:  17.50. 

Adults  in  Summer:   Upper  parts  uniform  grayish  brown;  browner  on 

neck  and  sides  of  head;  under  parts  white. 
Adults  in  Winter:  Upper  parts  same  as  in  summer  ;  under  parts  white  ; 

throat  and  sides  of  head  more  or  less  washed  with  brownish  ;  sides 

tinged  with  darker. 
Downy   Young:  Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  the  head  and  neck  finely 

streaked  with  pearl-gray.     Under  parts  white. 
Geographical  Distribution  :  Coasts  and  islands  of  North  Pacific. 


14  WATER  BIRDS 

Breeding  Range :  From  Farallones  to  Alaska. 

Breeding  Season  :  Approximately,  May  to  August. 

Nest:  A  bare  flat  place  on  cliffs,  no  lining,  no  protection. 

Eggs:  I  ;  pear-shaped;  varying  from  white  to  buffy,  amber,  and  pale 

green.     May  be  either  unmarked  or  streaked  with  brown.     In  size 

they  vary  from  3.50  X  1.90  to  2.05  X  1.45. 

THE  great  Murre  rookery  of  the  California  coast  is 
on  the  Farallone  Islands;  until  the  last  few  years 
their  eggs  were  a  common  product  in  the  markets  of 
San  Francisco.  According  to  figures  furnished  by  Mr. 
Leverett  M.  Looinis,  the  collection  of  Murre's  eggs  at 
the  Farallones  in  1896  amounted  to  7>645  dozen,  all 
of  these  being  shipped  to  California  markets.  Mr. 
Loomis  also  says:  "In  1885  three  hundred  thousand 
eggs  were  gathered.  The  market  became  glutted,  one 
cargo  being  dumped  into  San  Francisco  Bay  and  another 
abandoned  on  the  island."  According  to  another  au- 
thority, five  hundred  thousand  eggs  were  sold  in  less 
than  two  months,  —  all  collected  in  one  limited  portion 
of  South  Farallone  Island,  and,  "  in  the  opinion  of  the 
eggers,  not  more  than  one  egg  in  six  was  gathered." 
Fortunately  the  Government  has  now  forbidden  the 
collection  of  eggs  and  the  molesting  of  the  birds  on 
any  portion  of  these  islands,  and  no  one  is  allowed  to 
land  except  by  permission  of  the  Government  Light 
House  Inspector. 

Besides  being  robbed  by  human  enemies,  the  unfor- 
tunate Murres  have  to  wage  continual  war  against  the 
Western  gulls,  who  steal  their  eggs  the  moment  their 
backs  are  turned,  or  even  snatch  them  from  under  the 
mother  bird.  Possibly  for  this  reason  they  often  choose 


BIRDS   OF  THE   OPEN   SEA  15 

a  narrow  ledge  just  wide  enough  for  them  to  squat  upon 
when  brooding  the  egg,  where  they  will  have  only  one 
side  to  defend.  Since  they  brood  in  an  almost  upright 
position,  the  egg  resting  between  the  feet,  it  is  difficult 
to  tell  a  brooding  bird. 

Most  ludicrous  is  their  habit  of  ducking  their  heads  as 
if  in  salute,  and  when  this  is  done  by  hundreds,  one  after 
another,  the  effect  is  grotesque  indeed.  I  had  thought 
this  the  result  of  excitement  at  the  presence  of  an 
enemy,  but  it  continued  when  I  fancied  myself  well 
concealed  and  no  one  else  in  sight.  It  is  usually  fol- 
lowed by  the  departure  of  a  number,  who  dive  with 
incredible  swiftness  from  the  steep  rocks  to  the  sea, 
either  from  hunger  or  alarm.  Although  so  awkward 
and  helpless  on  land,  they  are  at  home  on  or  under 
the  water,  swimming  submerged  with  great  ease  and 
swiftness. 

The  nesting  date  of  the  California  Murres  differs  with 
different  authorities,  Mr.  Loomis  placing  it  in  April,  and 
Mr.  Emerson  from  the  middle  of  May  to  late  in  August ; 
my  own  date  is  June.  This  discrepancy  is  accounted 
for  by  the  fact  that  they  rear  several  broods  in  a  year 
if  accident  befall  the  earliest.  And  as  the  Western  gulls 
consider  the  young  Murre  a  delicious  morsel,  the  life  of 
any  nestling  is  precarious.  When  the  gulls  press  too 
closely,  the  wise  Murres  push  their  one  baby  off  the 
rock  into  the  water  below,  darting  beneath  it  with  in- 
credible swiftness,  and  the  young  Murre,  although  not 
ready  for  the  dive,  is  yet  born  with  its  swimming-suit 
on,  and  bobs  up  serenely  after  a  dizzy  fall. 


16  WATER   BIRDS 

37.    PARASITIC  JAEGER.  —  Stercorarius  parasiticus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Skuas  and  Jaegers. 

Length:  17.00. 

Light  Phase  of  Adults:  Top  of  head  and  lores  dark  grayish  brown  ;  re.st 

of  head  and  back  of  neck  straw-color,  merging  into  white  on  throat  ; 

breast  and  belly  white,  washed  on  sides  with  grayish  ;  back,  wings, 

and  tail  slaty  gray ;  middle  tail-feathers  narrow,  pointed,  and  3.UU 

longer  than  the  others ;  tarsi  black. 
Dark  Phase  of  Adults:  Entire  plumage  dark  brownish  slate-color,  darker 

on  head  and  lighter  on  under  parts. 
Light  Phase  of  Young:  Head  and  neckbuffy,  streaked  with  dark  ;  upper 

parts  dark  grayish  brown,  the  feathers  tipped  with  buffy  ;  under  parts 

buffy,  barred  with  dark. 
Dark  Phase  of  Young :  Dark  grayish  brown,  darker  on  wings  and  tail ; 

neck,  belly,  and  sides  streaked  with  buffy. 
Downy  Young:  Soft  grayish  brown  above,  under  parts  lighter. 
Geographical  Distribution ;  Entire  northern  hemisphere  ;  south  in  winter 

to  equator. 

Breeding  Range :  Chiefly  within  the  arctic  circle. 
Breeding  Season:  Approximately,  June  5  to  July  15. 
Nest:  A  mere  depression  in  the  ground,   rudely  lined  with  grass,   dry 

leaves,  or  moss ;  situated  on  dry  upland  or  rocks  near  the  water. 
Eggs:  2  to  4  ;  pale  greenish  brown,  spotted  thickly  with  umber  at  larger 

end  and  somewhat  over  entire  surface.     Size  2.23  X  1.62. 

THE  Parasitic  Jaeger  occurs  commonly  as  a  migrant 
on  the  coast  of  California,  though  a  few  remain  all  winter. 
Mr.  Grinnell  reports  one  taken  at  Santa  Monica,  and  Dr. 
Jeffries  tells  me  they  are  numerous  at  Santa  Catalina  in 
November.  They  are  winter  residents  in  small  numbers, 
also  in  Oregon,  Washington,  and  British  Columbia,  and 
wherever  found  in  sufficient  numbers  they  render  life 
miserable  for  terns  and  gulls  by  snatching  their  fish  from 
them.  At  the  end  of  a  month's  persecution  the  bodies 
of  the  terns  become  much  emaciated  from  lack  of  food, 


BIRDS   OF  THE   OPEN   SEA  17 

as  nearly  every  capture  is  seized  by  the  rapacious  Jaegers 
as  soon  as  raised  from  the  water.  Like  most  bul- 
lies, the  Jaeger  never  bothers  a  gull  of  its  own  size, 
but  chooses  its  victim  from  the  smaller  varieties. 
In  the  northern  regions  it  destroys  eggs  and  nests  of 
other  water-fowl,  rarely  fishing  for  itself,  but  living 
by  thievery. 

81.    BLACK-FOOTED   ALBATROSS.  —Diomedea 
nigripes. 

FAMILY  :  The  Albatrosses. 

Length:  28.50-36.00. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  dark  brownish  gray  ;  under  parts  uniform  grayish  ; 

tail-coverts  and  anterior  portions  of  head  white  ;  bill  dusky  brown ; 

feet  black. 
Young :  Similar,  but  upper  tail-coverts  dark  gray,  and  little  or  no  white 

on  head. 
Geographical  Distribution :  North  Pacific,  including  west  coast  of  North 

America. 

Breeding  Hinge :  Islands  of  the  Pacific  near  the  equator. 
Nest :  A  depression  in  the  guano,  lined  or  edged  with  a  little  seaweed. 
Eggs :  1  ;  white. 

VERY  little  is  known  of  the  nesting  habits  of  this 
rover  of  the  high  seas.  I  have  been  able  to  find  only 
one  record  of  any  nest  discovered  or  any  egg  taken. 
It  is  said  to  breed  on  the  islands  in  the  middle  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean  toward  the  equator,  in  January  and  Feb- 
ruary. Its  cries  are  said  to  resemble  cat-calls  and  to 
have  a  particularly  doleful  sound  heard  in  the  roar  of  a 
tempest.  Of  untiring  flight,  it  visits  the  land  only  to 
nast,  and  is  seldom  seen  near  the  coast,  preferring  the 
free,  bold  life  on  the  open  sea. 
2 


18  WATER  BIRDS 

It  has  been  nicknamed  "  Gonie  "  by  the  fishermen,  in 
supposed  allusion  to  a  peculiar  croaking  noise  it  makes 
when  feeding. 

82.   SHORT-TAILED  ALBATROSS.  —  Diomedea  albatrus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Albatrosses. 


\:  33.00-37.00. 

Adults :  White,  merging  to  straw-yellow  on  head  and  neck  ;  tail- 
feathers  brownish,  primaries  having  yellow  shafts. 

Young :  Uniform  dark  brownish  gray,  merging  to  blackish  on  head  and 
neck  ;  shafts  of  primaries  straw-yellow  ;  bill  and  feet  light  brown. 

Geographical  Distribution:  North  Pacific;  in  America  from  California 
to  Alaska. 

Breeding  Range:  Islands  of  the  Sandwich  group  and  northward  to 
Aleutian  Islands. 

Nest :  The  bare  ground. 

Eggs:  1  ;  elliptical ;  white.     Size  4.20  X  2.60. 

THE  Short-tailed  Albatross  is  found  on  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  following  the  whaling  ships  to  feed  on  the  refuse. 
Mr.  Davie  says :  "  It  is  easily  caught  with  hook  and  line, 
and  when  taken  on  board  is  unable  to  rise  from  the  deck, 
as  it  requires  a  long  range  of  surface  on  which  to  flap  its 
wings." 

It  is  occasionally  seen  in  the  Bay  of  Monterey  in 
.December  and  January,  following  the  whales  that  fre- 
quently come  into  the  harbor,  and  it  is  remarkably  fear- 
less. A  young  bird  of  this  species  shot  by  Mr.  Loomis 
was  very  ferocious,  screaming  with  rage,  and  trying  to 
bite  its  wounded  wing.  When  approached  by  the  col- 
lector who  had  shot  it,  the  bird  turned  its  fury  upon 
him.  The  Chinese  fishermen  regard  these  monarchs  of 
the  high  seas  with  superstitious  awe,  feeding  them  and 


BIRDS   OF   THE   OPEN   SEA  19 

propitiating  them  with  choice  bits,  in  hope  of  averting  dan- 
ger and  winning  good  luck  in  their  fishing.  According 
to  their  belief,  the  whales  drive  the  sardines  into  the  bay 
to  help  the  Chinese,  but  the  albatross  drives  the  whales. 

86  c.   PACIFIC    FULMAR.  —Fulmarus  gladalis  rodgersi. 
FAMILY  :  The  Fulmars  and  Shearwaters. 

Length:   17.00-19.00. 

Light  Phase :  Head,  neck,  and  under  parts  white  ;  upper  parts  ashy 
gray  ;  primaries  and  secondaries  dark  gray-brown. 

Dark  Phase :  Uniform  dusky  gray  above,  ashy  gray  below. 

Geographical  Distribution :  North  Pacific,  south  on  the  American  coast 
to  Mexico. 

Breeding  Range  :  Islands  of  the  Pacific  from  the  coast  of  British  Colum- 
bia to  Behring  Sea. 

Breeding  Season:  June  and  July. 

Nest :  in  colonies  on  ledges  ami  in  crevices  of  steep  promontories  rising 
perpendicularly  from  the  sea. 

Eggs:  1  ;  chalky  white.     Size  2.85  X  1.90. 

LIKE  all  the  Fulmars,  this  species  is  found  on  the 
open  sea  and  rarely  lands  upon  the  coast.  It  has  been 
recorded  at  Monterey,  and  occurs  at  most  of  the  islands 
along  the  coast  of  California,  Washington,  Oregon,  and 
British  Columbia.  It  is  very  abundant  at  Santa  Cata- 
lina  in  the  fall  and  winter. 

Its  common  names  are  Goose,  Gonie,  Gluttonbird, 
Giant  Petrel.  Of  these  "  Gluttonbird  "  seems  to  apply  to 
this  vulture  of  the  sea.  Its  food  consists  of  dead  flesh, 
fish,  or  fowl,  as  the  case  may  be,  upon  which  it  gorges 
until  unable  to  fly.  It  is  eminently  a  bird  of  the  open 
sea,  visiting  the  land  seldom  except  in  the  breeding 
season,  and  usually  not  flying  nearer  the  coast  than  five 
or  ten  miles. 


20  WATER  BIRDS 

All  the  Fulmars  may  be  distinguished  from  the  gulls 
in  flight  by  their  characteristic  wing  motions.  The 
wings  of  the  gulls  rise  and  fall  rapidly  in  wide  sweeps, 
and  are  held  more  or  less  at  an  angle  in  soaring;  the 
Fulmar  wing  stroke  is  slower  and  apparently  (though 
not  really)  less  powerful. 

The  Pacific  Fulmar  feeds  its  newly  hatched  young  by 
regurgitation  of  an  amber-colored  ill-smelling  oil.  It  is 
said  by  some  authorities  to  eject  this  as  a  protection 
against  enemies,  also ;  certainly  the  odor  is  sufficiently 
offensive  to  prevent  any  but  the  most  enthusiastic  orni- 
thologist from  meddling  with  its  domestic  affairs. 


93.    BLACK-VENTED   SHEARWATER.  —  Puffinus 
opisthomelas. 

FAMILY  :  The  Fulmars  and  Shearwaters. 

Length:  12.00-15.00. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  dark  slate-color,  merging  to  gray  on  head  and  neck  ; 

under  parts  white,  except  lower  tail-coverts,  which  are  blackish  gray. 
Downy  Young :  Upper  parts  dark  ashy  gray  ;  under  parts  smoky  white. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  Oceau,  chiefly  the  southward  coast  of 

Lower  California,  north  to  Santa  Cruz,  California. 
Breeding  Ramje:  Islands  of  the  South  Pacific,  north  to  Lower  California. 

RECORDS  are  claimed  of  this  species  as  far  north  as 
the  coast  of  Oregon.  Little  is  known  concerning  its 
nesting  habits.  Mr.  Anthony  found  adults  and  young 
on  San  Benito  Islands  in  July,  and  writes  that  they 
nest  in  caves  there.  ("  The  Condor,"  Vol.  II.  page  29.) 

Mr.  A.  W.  Anthony  in  "The  Auk,"  Vol.  XIII.,  has 
given  a  full  description  of  the  occurrence  of  these  Shear- 


BIRDS   OF  THE   OPEN   SEA  21 

waters  off  the  coast  of  Southern  and  Lower  California. 
Here  flocks  of  several  thousand  birds  may  be  frequently 
seen  hovering  over  the  vast  schools  of  herring  that  for 
some  reason  come  near  the  shore.  Mr.  Anthony  men- 
tions one  flock  that  numbered  at  least  fifty  thousand. 
The  presence  or  absence  of  the  Shearwater  near  shore 
is  governed  by  the  abundance  or  scarcity  of  fish  ;  during 
late  July,  August,  and  September  the  maximum  is 
reached. 

The  Black-vented  Shearwater  is  supposed  to  breed 
during  the  winter  months,  south  of  the  equator,  and  the 
summer  flocks  usually  contain  numbers  of  young  birds. 


95.    DARK-BODIED   SHEARWATER  —  Puffinm  griseus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Fulmars  and  Shearwaters. 

Adults:  Plumage  uniform   sooty  gray ;    lighter,  sometimes  whitish,  on 

chin   and   throat  ;    under   wing-coverts   white,   transversely  mottled 

with  gray  at  tips  ;  bill  blackish. 
Geoyraphicfil  Distribution:  South  Pacific,  north  on  the  American  coast, 

to  Queen  Charlotte  Islands.  British  Columbia. 
Breeding  Range :  Islands  of  the  South  Pacific. 
Nest :  A  rude  structure  of  twigs,  dead  leaves,  and  peat  at  the  end  of  a 

burrow  three  or  four  feet  long,  in  side  of  a  bank. 
Eggs:  1  ;  chalky  white.     Size  2.25  X  1.45. 

THIS  Shearwater  occurs  in  great  numbers  at  Monterey 
and  Santa  Cruz,  California.  I  have  seen  a  black  cloud 
fully  a  mile  long  composed  of  thousands  of  dark-bodied 
Shearwaters,  a  few  brandt  cormorants,  and  many  gulls 
hovering  over  the  sardines  in  the  Bay  of  Monterey  in 
June.  So  numerous  were  they  that  the  surface  of  the 
water  was  black  with  them  in  continual  motion  as  they 


22  WATER  BIRDS 

dropped  for  a  catch,  or  rose  each  with  a  fish  in  its 
beak,  or  settled  to  the  water  to  eat.  In  this  multitude 
the  dark-bodied  Shearwaters  outnumbered  both  gulls 
and  cormorants,  and  the  combined  noise  was  indescrib- 
able. Mr.  Loomis,  in  his  work  on  the  migration  of  sea 
birds,  as  observed  at  Monterey,  proves  inferential!?  that 
the  dark-bodied  Shearwaters  breed  in  the  south  temper- 
ate zone  during  the  winter  months,  coming  nortli  as 
soon  as  the  breeding  season  is  over,  and  remaining  until 
September.  In  New  Zealand,  where  this  bird  breeds 
abundantly,  it  excavates  a  burrow  in  a  bank  almost 
exactly  like  that  made  by  a  kingfisher.  At  the  end  of 
this  is  placed  a  lining  of  small  sticks,  and  occasionally 
a  few  leaves,  or  a  little  moss,  and  here  the  one  chalky 
egg  is  laid. 


105.2.     KAEDING   PETREL.  —  Oceanodroma  kaedingi. 
FAMILY  :  The  Fulmars  and  Shearwaters. 

Length:  7.25-8.50. 

Adults :  Sooty  gray,  lighter  on  under  parts ;  upper  tail-coverts  white  ; 

tail-feathers  shading  to  gray  at  base  ;  tail  forked  ;  bill  and  feet  black. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Nortli  Pacific,  south  to  Southern  California. 
Breeding  Range :  Islands  of  the  Pacific  Coast. 
Breeding  Season  :  March  to  September. 
Nest :  In  burrow,  or  more  commonly  in  crevices  of  loose  rock  ;  rudely 

lined  with  dried  grasses. 
Eggs :  1  ;  cream  white,  with  wreath  of  fine  purple   dots  about   larger 

end.     Size,  1.34  X  1.00. 

According  to  Mrs.  Bailey  the  Leach  petrels  reported 
on  the  coast  of  California  were  really  the  species  known 


BIRDS   OF  THE  OPEN  SEA  23 

as  Kaeding  petrels.  There  is  little  to  distinguish  the 
two  except  size,  the  latter  being  slightly  smaller  and 
darker  than  the  Eastern  species.  In  breeding  habits  the 
two  are  probably  identical.  Male  and  female  take  part 
in  sitting  upon  the  single  egg  —  sometimes  one  of  the 
pair,  sometimes  both  together.  The  newly  hatched 
young  are  fed  by  regurgitation  of  a  brownish  oily  fluid. 
Like  the  forked-tailed  petrel,  this  species  ejects  the  oil 
from  its  throat  and  stomach  if  molested.  The  odor 
clings  to  nest,  eggs  and  young. 


107.    BLACK    PETREL.  —  Oceanodroma  melania. 
FAMILY  :  The  Fulmars  and  Shearwaters. 

Length:  8.00-9.00. 

Adult :  Dusky  blackish,  lighter  on  under  parts ;  greater  wing-coverts 
and  outer  webs  of  tertials  light  ash-color. 

Geographical  Distribution:  South  Pacific,  northward  to  Los  Angeles 
County,  California. 

Breeding  Eange  :  Islands  off  the  coast  of  Southern  California  and  south- 
ward to  the  equator. 

Breeding  Season :  July. 

Nest :  Bare  ground,  or  burrow  one  to  three  feet  in  depth. 

Eggs:  1 ;  pure  white  ;  elliptical  oval.     Size  1.44  X  1.08. 

THE  Black  Petrel,  while  less  common  than  the  ashy, 
is  yet  a  resident  on  the  ocean  adjacent  to  Southern 
California.  Mr.  Grinnell  reports  it  as  far  north  as  Santa 
Barbara,  and  as  breeding  on  Los  Coronados  Islands,  off 
San  Diego.  Like  all  its  family,  it  comes  to  land  only  to 
nest,  and  any  acquaintance  with  it  must  be  made  from  a 
boat,  or  during  the  breeding  season  at  the  islands.  It 


24  WATER  BIRDS 

is  nocturnal  in  habits,  feeding  and  flying  only  after  dark- 
ness has  settled  over  the  sea,  and  enjoying  a  storm  as 
the  robin  enjoys  the  sun.  Its  notes  are  a  high  plaintive 
call  or  a  queer,  low,  purring  coo.  The  latter  is  heard 
only  during  the  nesting  season.  The  name  "Petrel" 
means  Little  Peter,  and  has  been  given  this  bird  be- 
cause of  its  curious  habit  of  skimming  over  the  surface 
of  the  water  with  feet  just  touching  it  in  a  quick,  patter- 
ing motion,  as  if  trying  to  walk  upon  the  waves.  All  the 
time  it  flutters  its  wings  like  a  huge  butterfly. 


108.    ASHY    PETREL.  —  Oceanodroma  homochroa. 
FAMILY  :  The  Fulmars  and  Shearwaters. 

Length:  8.00-9.00. 

Adult:  Grayish  slate-color,  merging  to  lighter  on  wing-coverts;  quills 

and  tail  blackish,  merging  to  ashy  slate-color  on  rump  and  upper 

tail-coverts. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Coast  of  California. 
Breeding   Range:    Islands  off  the  coast   of  California,   including  the 

Farallones  and  Santa  Barbara. 
Breeding  Season:  June  and  July. 
Nest:   In   crevices   under  rocks,   under  driftwood,    in   stone  walls,  in 

burrows. 
Eggs:   Creamy  white,  sometimes  faintly  spotted  about  the  large  end. 

Size  1.19  X  0.93. 

THE  Ashy  Petrels  were  breeding  abundantly  on  the 
South  Farallone  Islands  at  the  time  of  a  recent  visit  I 
made  to  the  spot,  but  few  of  the  birds  were  in  evidence 
during  the  daylight  hours.  The  nests  were  well  hidden 
under  loose  rocks,  in  crevices  and  in  all  sorts  of  crannies  ; 
they  were  betrayed  only  by  their  disagreeable  odor.  In 


BIRDS   OF   THE   OPEN   SEA  25 

common  with  other  petrels  these  feed  their  newly  hatched 
young  upon  the  dark  oily  fluid  which  they  eject  through 
their  bills  into  the  throats  of  the  fledgelings,  and  this  is 
undoubtedly  the  cause  of  the  unpleasant  smell  that  ever 
clings  to  their  plumage.  The  male  petrel  takes  a  full 
share  of  the  labors  of  incubation,  and  some  authorities 
aver  that,  like  the  phalarope,  he  does  it  all.  As  soon 
as  he  is  able  to  fly,  the  young  petrel  takes  to  the  sea, 


108.   ASHY  PETREL. 

"  The  playmate  of  the  grim  old  sea." 

never  to  come  ashore  until,  a  year  or  two  later,  he  wants 
a  wife  and  a  burrow  of  his  own.  Think  of  it  —  day 
after  day,  week  after  week,  eating,  sleeping,  resting  on 
the  boundless  water !  His  only  refuge  from  the  storm 
is  to  fly  above  or  beyond  it ;  his  only  food  is  the  drift  he 
may  pick  up.  Dancing  on  the  crest  of  the  wave,  dashing 
through  the  salt  spray,  he  is  the  ocean's  own  darling,  the 
playmate  of  the  grim  old  sea. 


26  WATER  BIRDS 

128. '  MAN-O'-WAR   BIRD.  —  Fregata  aquila. 
FAMILY  :  The  Man-o'-War  Birds. 

Length:  39.00. 

Adult  Male:  Uniform  iridescent  black,  with  green  and  reddish  purple 
reflections ;  wings  very  long ;  tail  forked  for  more  than  half  its 
length. 

Adult  Female :  Upper  parts  rusty  black  ;  under  parts  white ;  wings  with 
gray  patch. 

Young :  Head,  neck,  and  under  parts  white  ;  rest  of  plumage  dull 
blackish. 

Doiany  Young:  Uniform  white. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Tropical  and  subtropical  coasts  generally  ; 
in  America  north  to  Florida  and  Texas,  casually  through  interior 
along  Mississippi  River  and  along  Pacific  coast  to  Humboldt  Bay, 
California. 

Breeding  Range:  Gulf  of  Mexico  and  islands  off  coast  of  Lower  Cali- 
fornia. 

Breeding  Season:  January  to  March. 

Nest:  A  slight  platform  of  twigs  upon  the  branches  of  the  mangrove 
trees  at  edge  of  lagoon. 

Eggs:  1  ;  dull  white,  unspotted.     Size  2.70  X  1.84. 

FRIGATE  BIRD,  Frigate  Pelican,  Man-o'-War  Bird,  and 
Hurricane  Bird  are  the  common  names  applied  to  Fregata 
aquila  by  sailors  and  fishermen.  It  is  regarded  by  sea- 
men as  a  weather  prophet,  always  flying  higher  in  clear 
weather  and  low  before  a  storm.  The  name  "  Man-o'- 
War  Bird  "  doubtless  obtains  from  its  resemblance  to  a 
black  ship  as  it  hangs  motionless  in  midair.  Mr.  Chap- 
man writes  of  these  birds :  "  They  have  a  greater  expanse 
of  wing  in  proportion  to  the  weight  of  their  body  than  any 
other  bird.  They  rarely  alight  on  the  water,  but,  facing 
the  wind,  pass  hours  resting  motionless  on  outstretched 
wings,  sometimes  ascending  to  great  heights  and  calmly 
soaring  far  above  storms.  It  is  when  feeding  that  their 


BIRDS   FOUND   NEAR   SHORE   OR    IN    BAYS     27 

marvellous  aerial  powers  are  displayed  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage. By  swift,  indescribably  graceful  darts  they 
secure  fish  which  are  near  the  surface,  or  capture  those 
which  have  leaped  from  the  water  to  escape  some  enemy 
below.  They  also  pursue  gulls  and  terns,  and,  forcing 
them  to  disgorge  their  prey,  catch  it  in  midair." 

Although  rare  in  California  north  of  Monterey,  they 
are  more  or  less  common  throughout  the  coast  from  that 
point  southward.  They  are  high-handed  plunderers  of 
the  gulls,  meting  out  to  them  some  punishment  for  their 
constant  thieving.  But  it  is  to  the  unfortunate  fish-hawk 
that  these  pirates  are  most  terrible.  Reports  are  given 
on  good  authority  of  the  terror  exhibited  by  fish-hawks 
at  the  approach  of  their  enemy,  who  forces  them  to  fish 
hour  by  hour  until  exhausted,  and  seizes  every  fish  as 
soon  as  it  is  brought  up  from  the  water.  This  frequently 
results  in  the  death  of  the  hawk  by  exhaustion  and 
drowning. 


BIRDS  FOUND  NEAR  THE  SHORE  OR 
IN  BA  YS 

7.    LOON.  —  Gavia  immer. 
FAMILY  :  The  Loons. 

Length:  32.00. 

Adults  in  Summer:  Head  and  neck  glossy  greenish  black  ;  upper  parts, 

wings,  and  tail  iridescent  black ;  throat  and  sides  of  neck  crossed  by 
.     transverse  streaks  of  white  ;  back  and  wings  spotted  or  speckled  with 

white  ;  breast  and  belly  white  ;  sides  black,  spotted  with  white  ;  bill 

black. 


28  WATER   BIRDS 

Adults  in  Winter,  and  Young :  Plumage  of  upper  parts  without  white  ; 

under  parts  and  throat  white. 

Downy  Young :  Uniform  blackish  ;  belly  nearly  white. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Northern  part  of  northern  hemisphere. 
Breeding  Range :  Northern  United  States  and  throughout  Canada  to  the 

arctic  circle. 

Breeding  Season:  Approximately,  June  1  to  August  15. 
Nest:  A  slight  hollow  in  the  sand  near  the  water;  sometimes  roughly 

lined  with  dry  reeds,  sticks,  or  marsh  grass. 
Eggs:  2,  rarely  3  ;  olive,  spotted  with  umber  ;  elliptical.     Size  3.50  X 

2.20. 

ON  the  loneliest  lakes  of  California  the  common  Loon, 
known  as  Gavia  imber,  is  a  regular  winter  visitant,  but 
he  shuns  the  coast  whenever  he  can.  Is  this  because 
he  likes  the  taste  of  fresh-water  fish  better  than  that  of 
sea  fish?  \Yho  knows?  Like  those  of  all  diving  birds, 
the  Loon's  stout  legs  are  set  well  back,  and  propel  its 
heavy  body  with  equal  rapidity  and  ease  on  or  under 
the  water.  Its  speed  in  submarine  swimming  has  been 
estimated  to  reach  eight  miles  an  hour  and  to  continue 
indefinitely  with  only  the  bill  exposed.  In  this  he  uses 
only  his  feet,  the  wings  being  folded  tightly.  All  its 
fish  are  caught  by  diving.  Awkward  and  helpless  on 
land,  where  it  uses  wings  to  assist  in  locomotion,  it  leaves 
the  water  only  to  nest.  Its  two  greenish  gray  eggs  are 
laid  upon  a  thin  mat  of  grass  in  a  slightly  hollowed  place 
on  the  ground,  and,  in  order  to  be  as  far  as  possible  re- 
moved from  neighbors,  the  site  chosen  is  usually  a  small 
grass-covered  islet.  The  young  Loons  are  oval  balls  of 
blackish  down  and  are  occasionally  taken  into  the  water 
on  the  back  of  the  adult  bird.  Their  first  attempts  at  div- 
ing are  very  funny,  and  with  all  their  efforts  they  are  able 
to  submerge  no  more  than  their  heads  and  necks,  so  that 


BIRDS    FOUND   NEAR   SHORE   OR    IX   BAYS     29 


they  seem  to  be  standing  on  their  heads  and  paddling 
their  feet  in  the  air.  They  soon  become  expert  swim- 
mers and  divers.  Yet  under  the  water  as  on  it,  lurk 
the  Loon's  enemies.  The  large  pickerel  are  fond  of 


catching  him    by  the  feet,  and  great 
wait  for  a  delicious  piece  of  Loon 
meat.     If  he  floats  serenely  on  the 
surface,  hawks  and  gulls  are  ever 
ready  to    swoop  down  upon 
him.    Fortunate  it  is  for  the 
poor  mother   that   she   has 
but  two  to  guard. 

The   peculiar   cry  of  the 
Loon   has  been 
well  described 
by  Mr.  J. 


mud-turtles 


7.    LOON. 

The  young  loons  are  taken  into  the  water.'1'' 

Langille :  "Beginning  on  the  fifth  note  of  the  scale, 
the  voice  slides  through  the  eighth  to  the  third  of 
the  scale  above  in  loud,  clear,  sonorous  tones,  which 
on  a  dismal  evening  before  a  thunderstorm  —  the  light- 
ning already  playing  along  the  inky  sky  —  are  anything 
but  musical.  He  has  also  another  rather  soft  and  pleas- 
ing utterance,  sounding  like  who-who-who-who,  the  syl- 
lables being  so  rapidly  pronounced  as  to  sound  almost 
like  a  shake  of  the  voice  —  a  sort  of  weird  laughter. 


30  WATER  BIRDS 

"  Only  on  a  lonely  lake  in  the  heart  of  the  woods  do 
you  get  the  startling  thrill  of  the  Loon's  wild  cry  —  one 
clear,  piercing  note,  or  a  long,  quavering,  demoniacal 
laugh  that  to  the  timid  suggests  a  herd  of  screaming 
panthers." 

10.    PACIFIC   LOON.  —  Gavia  pacifica. 

FAMILY  :  The  Loons. 

Length:  27.00. 

Adults  in  Summer:  Upper  part  of  head  and  nape  pale  gray,  nearly 
white  ;  sides  of  head,  throat,  and  fore-neck  black,  glossed  with 
metallic  purple  and  green  ;  wings  and  tail  blackish  ;  breast  and  belly 
white ;  sides  of  neck,  wing-coverts,  and  back  black,  spotted  and 
streaked  with  white ;  sides  of  belly  sometimes  finely  streaked  with 
black. 

Adults  in  Winter,  and  Young :  Similar  to  Gavia  imber. 

Downy  Young :  Dark  sooty  gray. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Western  United  States,  east  to  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, south  to  Cape  St.  Lucas,  north  to  arctic  circle,  east  to  Hudson 
Bay. 

Breeding  Range :  From  Northern  United  States  to  Alaska. 

Breeding  Season  :  Approximately,  June  1  to  August  1. 

Nest :  Of  water  grasses,  rushes,  or  decayed  vegetation  at  edge  of  water. 

Eggs :  2  ;  varying  in  color  from  brown-olive  to  pale  greenish  gray.  Size 
3.00  X  1.85. 

THIS  species  of  the  Pacific  coast  Black-throated  Loon 
corresponds  to  the  Black-throated  Loon  of  Eastern 
United  States,  being  a  trifle  paler  in  coloring  but  iden- 
tical in  habits.  It  is  the  most  expert  of  all  divers ;  I 
have  seen  one  remain  under  water  three  minutes  by 
a  watch,  mean  while  covering  a  distance  of  a  hundred 
yards  in  his  submarine  swimming.  They  are  very  abun- 
dant in  Monterey  Bay  all  the  winter,  and  I  have  found 
a  few  there  as  late  as  June  10,  although  the  regular 


BIRDS   FOUND   NEAR  SHORE   OR   IN   BAYS    31 

breeding  season  had  begun  and  they  were  long  since  due 
in  Canada.  The  nest  of  the  Pacific  Loon  is  usually  a 
mass  of  wet,  decaying  vegetation  at  the  very  edge  of  the 
water,  or  sometimes  floating  among  the  rushes.  Occa- 
sionally it  is  lined  with  feathers.  The  bird  follows  the 
grebe's  fashion  of  covering  the  eggs  during  her  absence, 
but  does  not  remain  away  all  day  as  do  the  grebes. 
The  Loons  are  most  devoted  parents,  carrying  the  little 
ones  pick-a-back  as  soon  as  hatched,  and,  in  case  of 
attack  by  hunters,  often  rising  with  a  great  splash  be- 
tween the  hunter  and  their  brood,  to  cover  the  retreat 
of  the  young.  The  food  of  all  Loons  consists  largely  of 
fish,  although  they  occasionally  relish  frogs,  and  to  the 
newly  hatched  young  the  mother  brings  the  larvso  of 
water  insects  obtained  by  diving.  These  she  lays  on 
the  surface  for  the  brood  to  pick  up,  instead  of  placing 
them  in  the  bills  of  the  little  ones. 


11.  RED-THROATED   LOON.  —  Gavia  stellata. 
FAMILY  :  The  Loons. 

Length:  25.50. 

Adults  in  Summer  :  Sides  of  head  and  neck  light  brownish  gray  ;  throat 
gray  ;  a  triangular  patch  of  rich  chestnut  on  fore-neck  ;  crown  aiid 
broad  stripe  down  back  of  neck  finely  streaked  brownish  black  and 
white  ;  back,  wings,  and  tail  dark  grayish  brown,  finely  specked 
with  white  ;  breast  and  belly  white. 

Adults  in  Winter,  and  Young :  Throat  and  fore-neck  white ;  upper 
parts  blackish,  spotted  with  white. 

Downy  Young :  Upper  parts  blackish  slate  ;  under  parts  dark  gray. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Entire  northern  hemisphere,  south  in  winter 
as  far  as  latitude  30°. 

Breeding  Range  :  The  arctic  regions. 

Breeding  Season :  June  1  to  August  1. 


32  WATER   BIRDS 

Nest :  A  alight  hollow  on  ground,  close  to  water ;  imlined  and  unpro- 
tected. 
Eggs :  2  ;  brown  or  olive,  spotted  with  umber.     Size  2.50  X  1.81. 

THIS  is  the  smallest  and  handsomest  of  the  loons. 
It  occurs  in  California  from  November  to  late  in  April, 
being  the  last  to  arrive  from  the  North  and  the  first  to 
leave.  In  habits  it  is  nearly  identical  with  Garia 
imber,  but  is  a  more  northern  variety,  being  more  abun- 
dant in  Canada  than  in  the  United  States.  It  has  been 
found  breeding  in  British  Columbia  fifty  miles  north  of 
Vancouver.  Unlike  the  common  loon,  however,  it  fre- 
quents the  salt  rather  than  the  fresh  water,  and  during 
the  winter  months  is  common  along  the  California  coast 
from  Oregon  to  Mexico.  It  is  the  "  gray  loon  "  of  the 
fishermen,  and  its  long,  wild  call  as  it  rises  against  a 
breeze  and  circles  under  a  cloudy  sky  is  always  a  signal 
for  the  boats  to  seek  shelter,  for  the  storm  will  break 
and  not  "  blow  over." 

44.    GLAUCOUS-WINGED    GULL.  —  Larus glaucescens. 

FAMILY  :  The  Gulls  and  Terns. 

Length:  25.75. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Head,  neck,  lower  parts,  and  tail  uniform  white  ; 
mantle  dark  pearl-gray  ;  feet  and  legs  black. 

Adults  in  Winter :  Plumage  similar  to  that  of  summer,  but  with  head 
and  neck  finely  mottled  or  washed  with  sooty  gray. 

Young :  Dark  ash-gray,  with  mantle  mixed  with  pearl-gray  ;  head  and 
neck  indistinctly  streaked  with  buffy  ;  under  parts  mixed  with  white. 

Downy  Yming :  Dull  whitish  gray  above,  white  below  ;  head,  neck,  and 
upper  parts  marked  irregularly  with  dark  gray. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  of  North  America  from  Alaska 
and  Behring  Sea  ;  south  in  winter  to  Southern  California. 

Breeding  Range :  Islands  of  the  Pacific  coast  from  Washington  north- 
ward. 


BIRDS   FOUND   NEAR   SHORE   OR   IN  BAYS    33 

Breeding  Season  :  Approximately,  May  1  to  August  1. 

A'est :  A  bare  slight   depression    in   the  ground   near  shore,  or  a  rude 

affair  of  seaweeds  and  grass  on  shelving  rocks  or  cliffs. 
Eggs :  2  to  4  ;  from  dark  olive  to  white,  spotted  with  light  brown  and 

umber.     Size  2.88  X  2.03. 

THE  Glaucous-winged  Gull  is  one  of  the  most  numer- 
ous birds  on  the  California  coast.  Mr.  Leverett  M. 
Loomis  writes  of  it  at  Monterey  in  midwinter  as  follows : 

"  Whales  frequently  came  into  the  bay.  Often  they 
would  be  attended  by  a  great  train  of  gulls  and  pelicans 
'feeding  upon  the  slop-over'  ...  In  Carmel  Valley 
near  the  ocean  I  found  them  [the  Glaucous-winged 
Gulls]  in  company  with  Western  gulls  following  the 
plough  as  robins  do  in  the  spring  in  South  Carolina. 
The  tameness  and  familiarity  of  the  water  birds  on  this 
coast  strikingly  contrast  with  the  wariness  of  those  of 
the  North  Atlantic." 

This  gull  may  be  known  from  the  others  by  the  long 
wing-quills  of  slate-gray  tipped  with  white.  Its  winter 
range  does  not  extend  so  far  south  as  that  of  some  of 
its  congeners,  but  it  is  reported  all  along  the  California 
coast  from  Monterey  northward.  In  nesting  habits  the 
Glaucous-winged  Gulls  resemble  the  Western  gulls ;  the 
newly  hatched  Glaucous-winged  are  the  softest,  downiest 
nestlings  imaginable.  They  are  fed  upon  small  fish,  refuse 
from  salmon  canneries,  —  which  the  parents  fly  miles  to 
obtain,  —  and  small  mollusks. 


34  WATER  BIRDS 

49.    WESTERN    GULL.  —  Larus  occidentalis. 
FAMILY  :  The  Gulls  and  Terns. 

Length:  25.50. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Head,  neck,  lower  parts,  rump,  and  tail  white  ; 
mantle  dark  slaty  gray  ;  wing-quills  black,  with  large  spots  of  white. 
Angle  of  lower  mandible  very  conspicuous  ;  depth  of  bill  through 
mandible  greater  than  at  base. 

Adults  in  Winter :  Plumage  similar  to  that  of  summer,  except  that  top 
of  head  and  nape  are  streaked  with  dark  gray-brown. 

Young :  Upper  parts  brownish  gray  mottled  with  white  ;  quills  and  tail- 
feathers  black,  tipped  with  white ;  under  parts  grayish ;  sides  mot- 
tled with  white. 

Downy  Young  :  Ashy  white  ;  head  mottled  with  distinct  black  patches  ; 
upper  parts  more  or  less  mottled  with  dark  ash. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  of  North  America  from  Lower 
California  to  British  Columbia. 

Breeding  Range  :  From  Coronado  Islands  to  British  Columbia  ;  at  Santa 
Catalina,  Santa  Barbara,  and  San  Clernenti. 

Breeding  Season :  Approximately,  May  1  to  August  1. 

Nest :  Of  weeds  ;  on  rocky  ledges. 

Eggs :  2  to  3  ;  light  olive,  spotted  with  umber.     Size  2.76  X  1.94. 

MOST  conspicuous  because  everywhere  present,  most 
interesting  because  of  his  very  wickedness,  is  the  variety 
of  gull  found  on  the  Farallones,  and  everywhere  on  the 
California  coast.  He  is  known  as  Larus  occidentalis, 
and  is  the  only  species  that  breeds  on  those  islands. 
The  pretty  herring  gulls  of  our  harbors  are  quite  differ- 
ent in  habit  from  this  voracious  plunderer. 

Larus  occidentalis  is  a  degenerate.  Too  lazy  to  fish 
for  himself,  he  steals  from  whomsoever  he  can.  If  the 
victim  be  a  diving  bird  who  has  come  to  the  surface 
with  a  struggling  fish  in  his  beak,  the  Western  Gull  will 
hover  over  him,  compelling  him  to  dive  again  and  again, 
until,  exhausted,  he  abandons  the  food  he  has  had  no 


BIRDS   FOUND   NEAR  SHORE  OR  IN  BAYS    35 

time  to  swallow ;  then  the  victor,  seizing  it  quickly,  flies 
away  to  devour  it.  Fish  brought  to  the  nest  of  other 
birds  as  food  for  mate  or  young  is  stolen  by  the  Western 
Gulls  as  soon  as  laid  down,  and  so  expert  on  the  wing 
are  they  that  but  once  have  I  seen  punishment  overtake 
them.  In  this  case  the  bird  tried  to  snatch  a  fish  that 
had  been  thrown  to  a  baby  seal.  Quicker  than  thought, 
the  seal  mother  caught  the  bird  by  the  feet  and  drew 
it  under  the  water.  In  a  few  moments  she  rose  with 
the  lifeless  body,  shook  it  viciously,  and  tossed  it  con- 


49..   WESTERN  GULL. 
The  young  gull  is  taught  to  fish. 

temptuously  away.  This  occurred  at  Avalon,  Santa 
Catalina,  and  was  witnessed  by  many  spectators  at  6 
A.  M.  one  May  morning.  But  seals  are  not  usually  the 
victims  of  these  tyrants.  Cormorant  and  murre  eggs 
and  young,  and  even  young  rabbits,  are  its  favorite  bill 
of  fare.  Eggs  they  will  steal  in  spite  of  all  precautions ; 
a  lighthouse  keeper  tells  about  covering  a  pile  of  eggs 
closely  with  a  sail-cloth,  only  to  have  the  gulls  work 
their  way  under  it  and  carry  off  every  one. 

But  in  spite  of  all  his  faults,  the  Western  Gull  is 
devoted  to  his  mate  and  nestlings,  feeding  and  guarding 
them  with  constant  care.  Early  in  May  he  begins  to 
repair  his  old  nest,  stealing  material  from  the  cormo- 


36  WATER   BIRDS 

rants  if  he  can,  bringing  it  himself  if  he  must.  The  nest 
is  a  large,  soft,  and  warm  affair  made  of  dried  Farallone 
weed  and  occasionally  lined  with  a  few  feathers.  It  is 
also  scrupulously  clean.  No  fish  scales,  fish  bones,  or 
other  debris  is  allowed  to  remain  near  it.  The  young 
gulls,  usually  three  in  number,  are  beauties,  covered 
with  grayish  buff  down  and  spotted  all  over  with  dots 
of  darker.  At  three  weeks  old  they  are  mottled  black 
and  light  ashy.  They  show  no  fear,  and  will  allow  a 
person  to  handle  them,  only  looking  surprise  from  their 
bright  little  eyes.  One  would  never  believe  that  such 
innocent-looking  babies  could  ever  become  thieves  and 
cannibals.  They  stay  in  the  nest  longer  than  most  of 
the  young  sea  birds,  not  leaving  it  until  their  wings  are 
fully  feathered  and  strong.  Even  then  they  are  not  like 
the  parents,  for,  until  a  year  old,  all  young  gulls  are 
mottled  brown  and  white.  The  brownish-looking  gulls 
flying  with  the  others  on  our  harbors  and  rivers  are  not 
a  different  species,  but  are  the  immature. 

The  young  gull  learns  to  fish  in  a  unique  way.  He 
also  learns  to  steal,  but  that  is  another  story.  He  scram- 
bles with  fluttering  wings  down  to  the  water,  accom- 
panied by  the  rest  of  his  family.  As  soon  as  he  is 
fairly  launched,  one  of  the  adult  birds  brings  a  small  fish, 
and  showing  it  to  him,  lets  it  float  on  the  surface. 
If  the  youngster  is  an  apt  pupil,  he  snaps  at  it  and 
usually  gets  it.  If  not,  it  is  snatched  up  by  some  adult, 
for  might  is  right  in  the  sea-bird  world.  If  after  losing 
several  in  this  way  he  becomes  discouraged,  he  is  fed, 
taken  ashore  for  a  sun-bath,  and  in  an  hour  is  back  for 


BIRDS   FOUND   NEAR   SHORE   OR   IN   BAYS   37 

another  lesson.  In  the  meantime  he  watches  his  par- 
ents filching  food  from  nestlings  around  him,  and  as 
soon  as  he  dares,  or  can  find  a  bird  more  helpless  than 
himself,  he  tries  the  plan.  He  finds  it  much  easier  than 
catching  a  bobbing  sardine  in  the  water,  and  from  that 
time  his  career  in  crime  begins. 

51.    HERRING    GULL.  —  Larus  argentatus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Gulls  and  Terns. 

Length:  23.25. 

sldults  in  Summer:  Head,  throat,  and  under  parts  white  ;  mantle  pearl- 
gray  ;    white   tip  of  first  primary   separated  from  large  white  spot 

farther  up  by  blotch  of  black  half  an  inch  wide  extending  to  the  tip  ; 

eyelids  yellow  ;  feet  pale  flesh-color. 
Adults  in  Winter:    Similar,  but  mottled  with  ash-color  on  head  and 

neck. 
Young :  Grayish  brown,  streaked  or  mottled  on  head,  neck,  and  upper 

parts  with  dull  whitish  ;  quill-coverts  and  tail-feathers  rusty  black. 
Downy    Young:    Soiled  white;    head   irregularly   spotted  with   black; 

back,  wings,  and  tail  washed  with  ashy. 
Geographical    Distribution:    North   America   in    general;    in   summer 

from  latitude  40°  northward  ;   south  in  winter  to  Cuba  and   Lower 

California. 
Breeding  Ranye :  Inland  lakes  from  latitude  43°  to  the  Upper  Yukon, 

Alaska. 

Breeding  Season:  Approximately,  May  15  to  August  1. 
AVs/ :  A  slight  depression  in  the  ground,  lined  thinly  with  grasses  ;  near 

water. 
Eg</s:    3  ;  varying  from  blue-white  to  yellow-brown,  blotched  with  light 

and  dark  brown.     Size  2.80  X  1-75. 

THIS  is  a  common  gull  throughout  its  range,  and 
differs  from  other  species  in  its  abundance  around  rivers 
and  harbors.  It  is  the  gull  seen  following  the  ferry- 
boats on  San  Francisco  Bay,  perching  on  the  anchored 
fishing  craft  in  Monterey  harbor,  and  sitting  on  the 
buoys  at  San  Diego,  and  tormenting  the  seals  at  Santa 


38  WATER  BIRDS 

Catalina.  It  is  the  species  best  known  East  and  West, 
following  the  coastwise  vessels  as  well  as  those  of  the 
Great  Lakes,  and  feeding  on  the  refuse  thrown  out. 

Its  name  of  Herring  Gull  is  probably  derived  from  its 
habit  of  following  a  school  of  herring,  and  gorging  itself 
upon  them  as  it  flies.  To  see  the  countless  numbers 
of  gulls  and  shearwaters  hovering  over  a  school  of  her- 
rings in  Monterey  Bay  is  an  experience  worth  a  trip 
across  the  continent.  No  words  can  describe  their 
multitude  or  their  clamor.  A  compact  cloud  of  them 
two  miles  long  and  half  a  mile  wide,  seeming  almost 
like  a  solid  mass  of  wings,  is  a  common  sight  in  that 
harbor. 

By  a  curious  adaptation  of  its  natural  nesting-habits 
to  necessity  for  self-protection,  in  localities  where  its 
riests  have  been  continually  robbed,  it  has  learned  to 
build  in  trees  sixty  and  seventy  feet  from  the  ground. 
In  these  cases  the  nest  is  a  compact  structure  some- 
what resembling  a  crow's  nest,  but  more  often  plastered 
with  a  small  amount  of  mud  and  lined  with  grasses  and 
moss.  In  fact,  it  adapts  itself  to  local  conditions  in 
placing  and  constructing  its  home :  guided  by  some 
instinctive  law,  it  lays  its  eggs  on  the  bare  ground  in 
one  region ;  it  elaborately  lines  and  carefully  conceals 
its  nest  in  another;  and,  wherever  necessary  for  self- 
preservation,  it  chooses  a  tall  tree. 

The  young  gulls  are  fascinatingly  fat  babies  covered 
with  fluffy  down,  and  even  prettier  than  ducklings.  When 
hatched  in  ground  nests,  they  soon  learn  to  run  about, 
and  they  are  taken  to  the  water  when  a  few  weeks 


BIRDS   FOUND  NEAR  SHORE   OR   IN  BAYS    39 

old.  It  is  possible  that  when  the  nest  is  seventy-five 
feet  up  in  a  tree  the  nestlings,  like  those  of  the  wood 
ducks,  are  carried  down  by  one  of  the  adults. 


53.    CALIFORNIA   GULL.  —  Larus  californicus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Gulls  and  Terns. 

Length:  21.50. 

4duUs :  Head,  neck,  and  under  parts  white  ;  mantle  dark  slate-gray ; 
the  yellow  bill  marked  with  red  spot,  touching  or  encircling  a  black 
spot  near  end  of  lower  mandible ;  iris  bright  brown  ;  feet  light 
green. 

Young:  Head,  neck,  and  lower  parts  white,  washed  with  brownish 
gray  ;  upper  parts  mottled  gray  and  buflfy ;  quills  and  tail-feathers 
rusty  black. 

Downy  Young:  Light  ash-gray,  marked  with  black  spots  on  head  and 
washed  with  dark  gray  on  back,  wings,  and  tail. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  North  America,  chiefly  in  the  inte- 
rior from  Alaska  to  Mexico. 

Breeding  Range:  Inland  lakes  of  Oregon,  Washington,  British  Colum- 
bia, and  Utah. 

Breeding  Season:  Approximately,  May  15  to  August  15. 

Nest :  Of  sticks  and  grasses,  lined  with  feathers  ;  on  ground,  on  rocks, 
or  in  low  sagebrush  near  water. 

Eggs :   3  to  5  ;  from  blue-white  to  gray-brown.     Size  2.50  X  1.65. 

THE  California  Gull  is  a  regular  winter  visitant  on  the 
coast,  but  disappears  usually  about  May  1.  It  breeds 
abundantly  on  Lake  Malheur,  Oregon,  on  Great  Salt 
Lake,  Utah,  and  as  far  north  as  Great  Slave  Lake. 
It  may  easily  be  distinguished  from  the  other  species  by 
its  smaller  size.  Mr.  Loomis  reports  it  as  abundant  at 
Monterey,  where  it  is  found  in  company  with  the  west- 
ern and  glaucous-winged.  During  the  winter  it  is  com- 
mon on  all  the  fresh-water  marshes  as  well  as  the  coast, 
throughout  Southern  California.  Mrs.  Bailey  says,  "At 


40  WATER   BIRDS 

Pescadero  in  the  low  fields  near  the  ocean,  hundreds 
have  been  seen  following  the  plough."  A  similar  state- 
ment has  been  made  of  two  other  varieties,  the  ring- 
billed  and  the  short-billed. 

54.    RING-BILLED    GULL.  —  Larus  delawarensis. 
FAMILY  :  The  Gulls  and  Terns. 

Length:  19.00. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Head,  neck,  lower  parts,  and  tail  white  ;  mantle 
pearl-gray  ;  first  primary  black,  with  white  patch  near  tip ;  rest  of 
primaries  gray,  washed  with  black  on  outer  web  and  tipped  with 
white  ;  iris  pale  yellow  ;  eyelids  red  ;  bill  greenish  yellow,  banded 
near  end  with  black  and  tipped  with  orange  ;  feet  yellowish  green. 

Adults  in  Winter :  Similar,  but  with  ashy  streaks  on  head  and  nape. 

Young:  Upper  parts  dark  ashy,  mottled  with  buff;  outer  primaries 
black  ;  upper  half  of  tail-feathers  pearl-gray,  meeting  a  broad  band  of 
black  which  extends  to  a  narrow  white  tip ;  bill  yellowish  at  base, 
shading  into  black  at  tip. 

Downy  Young :  Dull  gray- white  ;  head  spotted  with  black  ;  back  washed 
with  dusky. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Entire  North  America;  south  in  winter  to 
Cuba  and  Mexico. 

Breeding  Range:  Northern  portions  of  the  United  States,  and  inland 
lakes  of  Oregon,  Washington,  and  British  Columbia. 

Breeding  Season :  Approximately,  May  1  to  August  1. 

Nest :  Of  coarse  grass  ;  on  ground,  near  water. 

Eggs:    2  to  3  ;  buffy  gray,  spotted  with  chocolate.     Size  2.77  X  1.67. 

ALTHOUGH  the  Ring-billed  Gull  is  a  more  or  less 
locally  common  species  in  every  part  of  the  United 
States,  it  is  more  abundant  on  the  Atlantic  than  on  the 
Pacific  coast.  In  habits  it  is  like  the  herring  gull,  but 
may  be  distinguished  by  its  smaller  size,  yellowish  green 
feet,  and  banded  bill.  Quite  un-sea-bird-like,  it  relishes 
the  larvae  of  marsh  insects  as  well  as  the  adult  forms, 
and  during  fall  migrations  it  catches  them  on  the  wing, 


BIRDS   FOUND   NEAR  SHORE   OR  IN   BAYS      41 

as  do  swallows.  In  some  localities  it  has  been  seen  feed- 
ing among  the  freshly  turned  furrows  of  a  ploughed  field. 
There  is  reason  to  believe  that,  unlike  some  members  of 
its  family,  it  never  robs  other  birds  either  of  food,  eggs, 
or  young,  but  is  content  with  the  small  fish  and  insects 
it  can  pick  up  on  inland  marshes  and  meadows. 

57.    HEERMANN    GULL.  —  Lams  heermanni. 

FAMILY  :  The  Gulls  and  Terns. 

Length:  18.75. 

Adults  in  Summer:  Upper  parts  dark  slate-color;  head  and  neck  white  ; 

under  parts  dusky  gray;  wings  and  tail  black,  the  latter  tipped  with 

white  ;  hill  scarlet. 

Adults  in  W inter :  Similar,  but  head  very  dark,  nearly  black. 
Downy  Young:  Dark  ash -color,  the  feathers  of  upper  parts  edged  with 

buffy  ;  head  mottled. 

Immature  (Second  Year?) :  Entire  plumage  uniform  dark  ash  ;  tail  black. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  of  North  America  from  British 

Columbia  south  to  Panama. 
Breeding  Range  :  From  Coronado  Islands  northward  ;  does  not  breed  at 

the  Faralluues. 

Breeding  Season:  Approximately,  May  20  to  August  1. 
Nest :  On  ground  near  water,  or  on  cliffs  ;  scantily  lined  with  coarse 

grass  or  moss. 
Eggs:  2  to  3  ;  greenish  gray,  marked  with  lilac  and  brown.    Size  2.45  X 

1.50. 

THE  Heermann  Gull  may  be  readily  distinguished 
from  any  other  species  by  its  darker  plumage.  It  is  a 
curious  sight  to  see  these  handsome  birds  at  San  Diego 
Bay  and  La  Jolla  following  an  unlucky  pelican  who  has 
a  fine  pouchful  of  fish.  They  fly  over  and  around  him, 
darting  down  to  peck  at  him  with  their  bills  until  he  is 
forced  to  disgorge  his  catch.  The  dignified  and  methodi- 
cal pelican  is  no  match  for  these  swift  flyers,  and  soon 
yields  to  the  inevitable.  I  have  seen  the  same  pelican 


42  WATER  BIRDS 

robbed  three  times  in  succession,  leave  the  vicinity  with 
a  flock  of  several  gulls  following.  A  close  watch  failed 
to  discover  any  other  species  of  gulls  at  this  sport,  and 
I  believe  the  persecutors  are  invariably  the  Larus  heer- 
rnanni,  although  the  Western  gull  is  much  more  apt  to 
commit  such  atrocities.  In  this  locality,  however,  the 
Heermann  Gulls  outnumber  the  Western  three  to  one. 
Mr.  Grinnell  says  this  is  the  case  also  at  Los  Angeles, 
while  at  Monterey  Mr.  Loomis  reports  them  as  varying 
in  proportion  at  different  times  during  migration. 

60.    BONAPARTE   GULL.  —  Larus  Philadelphia. 
FAMILY  :  The  Gulls  and  Terns. 

Length:  13.00. 

Adults  in  Summer:  Head  and  throat  dark  slate,  nearly  black  ;  mantle 
pearly  gray  ;  under  parts,  tail,  nape,  and  sides  of  head  white  ;  wings 
white,  shading  to  pearl-gray  ;  first  primary  tipped  and  edged  on 
outer  web  with  black  ;  other  primaries  with  broad  black  transverse 
spots,  forming  a  bar  ;  feet  and  legs  orange  ;  bill  black. 

Adults  in  Winter:  Similar,  but  head  and  throat  white,  back  and  sides 
of  head  gray. 

Young:  Head  white,  top  and  nape  washed  with  gray;  under  parts  and 
tail  white,  the  tail  banded  with  black  near  end  ;  back  and  wing- 
coverts  ashy ;  primaries  bluish  gray,  narrowly  tipped  with  black. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Whole  of  North  America. 

Breeding  Range:  Northern  parts  of  the  United  States  northward. 

Breeding  Sea-ion:  Approximately,  June  1  to  August  1. 

Nest :  Of  sticks  and  grasses  ;  lined  with  fibre  ;  always  elevated  from  the 
ground  in  bushes,  trees,  or  high  stumps. 

Eggs:  From  greenish  to  olive-brown,  spotted  with  brown  and  light 
purple,  chiefly  at  larger  end.  Size  1.95  X  1.34. 

THE  distinguishing  feature  of  the  Bonaparte  Gull  is 
its  slate-gray  hood  in  summer,  all  the  other  Pacific  gulls 
having  light-colored  or  white  heads.  Its  appearance  as 


BIRDS   FOUND   NEAR   SHORE   OR   IN   BAYS    43 

it  flies  toward  you  may  have  suggested  its  name,  for  it  is 
not  unlike  the  black  cocked  hat  and  white  expanse  of 
bosom  so  characteristic  of  the  portraits  of  that  monarch. 
It  is  found  throughout  North  America,  being  rather 
more  abundant  on  the  Atlantic  than  the  Pacific  coast. 
Its  food  is  small  fish,  which  it  procures  by  diving 
from  the  air  to  the  surface  of  the  water,  not  beneath 
it.  Swift  and  graceful  in  flight,  of  small  and  elegant 
form,  it  seems  rather  to  belong  to  the  terns  than  to  the 
gulls.  Its  breeding  grounds  are  in  the  far  north,  through 
the  wooded  districts  of  Alaska  and  as  far  south  as  Mani- 
toba. In  November  and  May  these  gulls  pass  through 
California  as  migrants,  a  few  remaining  at  San  Diego 
Bay  throughout  December  and  returning  there  in 
March. 

65.    ROYAL    TERN.  —  Sterna  maxima. 
FAMILY  :  The  Gulls  and  Terns. 

Length:  18.21. 

Adults  in  Spring:  Top  of  head  and  nape  glossy  black,  feathers  length- 
ened to  form  a  crest ;  upper  parts  pearl-gray,  merging  to  white  on 
tail  and  at  back  of  neck  ;  under  parts,  including  throat  and  sides  of 
neck,  pure  white  ;  bill  bright  orange  ;  feet  black. 

Adults  after  Breeding  Season  and  in  Winter :  Similar,  but  black  on  head 
and  crest  mixed  with  white  ;  bill'pale  orange. 

Young:  Similar  to  winter  adults,  but  upper  parts  more  or  less  mottled 
with  dusky  brown  ;  tail  dusky  near  tip ;  crest  slightly  developed ; 
top  of  head  dusky,  mixed  with  white. 

Downy  Young :  Like  downy  young  of  S.  cdspia. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Tropical  America  and  warmer  parts  of  North 
America,  to  latitude  40°,  casually  northward  to  Massachusetts  and  the 
Great  Lakes.  Common  coastwise  in  California  at  all  seisons. 

Breeding  Range :  On  Atlantic  coast  from  New  Jersey  southward ;  on 
Gulf  coast  from  Texas  to  Florida;  at  San  Miguel  Island  on  the 
Pacific  coast. 


44  WATER   BIRDS 

Nest :  A  shallow  depression  scooped  in  the  sand  of  a  beach. 
Eggs:  2  to  4  ;  narrower  and  more  pointed  than  those  of  Caspian  tern  ; 
grayish,  spotted  with  brown  and  purple.     Size  2.67  X  1.70. 

CONCERNING  the  Royal  Tern,  Mr.  Frank  M.  Chapman 
writes :  "  It  is  a  strong,  active  bird  on  the  wing,  and  a 
reckless,  dashing  diver,  frequently  disappearing  beneath 
the  surface  in  catching  its  prey.  The  slow-Hying  pelicans 
are  at  its  mercy,  and  it  often  deftly  robs  them  of  their 
well-earned  gains. 

"  All  the  terns  are  to  be  known  from  the  gulls  by  the 
very  different  manner  in  which  they  hold  their  bills. 
A  tern  points  its  bill  directly  downward  and  looks,  as 
Coues  says,  like  a  big  mosquito,  while  a  gull's  bill  points 
forward  in  the  plane  of  its  body." 


69.    FORSTER    TERN.—  Sterna forsteri. 

FAMILY  :  The  Gulls  and  Terns. 

Length:  15.10. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Top  of  head  and  nape  jet  black  ;  upper  parts  pearl- 
gray  ;  under  parts,  including  throat  and  sides  of  neck,  uniform 
white;  bill  dull  orange,  tipped  with  dusky;  feet  deep  orange. 

Adults  in  Winter:  Similar,  but  head  white,  tinged  with  gray  on  nape, 
and  white  dusky  patch  around  eyes  and  ear-coverts  ;  bill  brownish, 
merging  to  black  at  tip  ;  feet  brownish. 

Young:  Similar  to  winter  adults,  but  with  top  of  head,  nape,  back,  and 
wings  washed  with  dark  umber ;  distinctly  darker  at  end  of  tail  ; 
sides  of  head  dusky  brownish. 

Downy  Young:  Upper  parts'  pale  buffy  brown,  coarsely  mottled  with 
black  ;  under  parts,  except  throat,  white. 

Geographical  Distribution :  North  America  generally ;  south  in  winter 
to  Brazil. 

Breeding  Range :  On  Pacific  coast  from  Washington  to  Lower  California  ; 
common  at  Lake  Tahoe,  Eagle  and  Elsinore  Lakes,  California. 

Breeding  Season:  Approximately,  May  1  to  July  20. 


BIRDS   FOUND   NEAR   SHORE   OR   IN    BAYS     45 

Nest :  Made  of  flags  or  marsh  vegetation  ;  lined   with  weeds ;    in   wet 

marshy  place,  or  floating  among  rushes. 
Eggs:  2  or  3 ;  from  pure,  white  to  pale  green  or  brown  -gray,  irregularly 

spotted  with  several  shades  of  brown  and  purple.    Size  1.85  X  1.35. 

DR.  BREWER  calls  this  species  "  pre-eminently  a  marsh 
tern,"  and  says  that  its  monotonous  cry  closely  resembles 
the  call  note  of  a  loggerhead  shrike.  It  is  found  nest- 
ing in  colonies  in  company  with  gull-billed  terns  and 
Bonaparte  gulls  in  suitable  localities  throughout  its 
breeding  range,  but  chiefly  on  large  lakes  in  the  interior. 
Its  food  consists  of  minnows,  insects,  and  refuse  floating 
on  the  water. 

74.    LEAST   TERN.  —  Sterna  antillarum. 

FAMILY  :  The  Gulls  and  Terns. 

Length:  8.50-9.75. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Upper  parts  pearl-gray  ;  under  parts  white  ;  fore- 
head white;  crown,  lores,  and  nape  jet  black;  bill  yellow,  usually 
tipped  with  black  ;  feet  orange. 

Adults  in  Winter :  Similar,  but  lores  and  crown  white  ;  nape  black  ;  bill 
black. 

Young  :  Similar  to  winter  adults,  but  upper  parts  mottled  with  blackish 
and  buffy. 

Downy  Young :  Upper  parts  pale  buffy  gray,  finely  mottled  with  dusky; 
head  distinctly  marked  with  irregular  black  speckles  ;  under  parts 
white. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Northern  South  America,  north  to  California, 
Minnesota,  New  England,  and  casually  to  Labrador. 

Breeding  Range :  Breeds  locally  nearly  throughout  its  range.  In  Cali- 
fornia as  far  north  as  Ballona  Beach,  Los  Angeles  County. 

Breeding  Season:  Approximately,  May  1  to  July  15. 

Nest :  Scarcely  perceptible  hollow  in  the  bare  sand  of  the  beach  ;  nnlined. 

Eggs:  2  or  3  ;  greenish  gray,  spotted  with  light  and  dark  brown,  and 
light  purple.  Occasionally  these  markings  form  a  wreath  at  the 
larger  end.  Size  1.25  X  0.95. 

SEA  SWALLOW  and  Little  Striker  are  the  common 
names  applied  to  this  little  tern,  although  sea  swallow 


46  WATER  BIRDS 

is  used  of  all  terns.  The  Least  Tern  is  said  to  feed 
upon  insects,  and  has  the  peculiar  darting,  skimming 
flight  of  swallows ;  hence  the  appellation  "  sea  swallow  " 
is  particularly  appropriate  to  it.  Its  call  note  is  a  high- 
keyed  squeal  or  squeak,  and  it  utters  this  note  almost 
continuously  while  on  the  wing. 

Throughout  the  coast  of  Southern  California  these 
Terns  are  found  nesting  on  the  narrow  strip  of  beach 
between  the  tide  marsh  and  the  sea.  Along  the  old  sea 
drive,  a  few  miles  southward  from  Coronado  Beach,  it  is 
not  uncommon  to  find  their  eggs  laid  on  the  bare  sand, 
at  the  edge  of  the  salt  marsh,  well  out  of  reach  of  the 
tide ;  but  so  perfectly  do  they  harmonize  with  their 
environment  that  the  searcher  may,  and  usually  does, 
pass  them  by,  unless  the  distress  of  the  parent  bird  or 
the  flushing  of  the  mother  from  the  nest  betrays  its 
location.  Even  more  difficult  to  find  are  the  newly 
hatched  young,  which  are  little  balls  of  down  scarcely 
larger  than  a  walnut,  and  seem  to  melt  into  the  color 
of  the  sand  even  after  you  have  discovered  them. 
Crouched  motionless  among  the  pebbles,  they  do  not 
even  wink  until  your  hand  almost  closes  over  them, 
when,  presto  !  they  scud  off  with  most  surprising  speed. 

77.   AMERICAN    BLACK    TERN.  —  Hydrochelidon  nigra 
surinamensis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Gulls  and  Terns. 

Length:  9.00-10.00. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Head,  neck,  and  under  parts  black  ;   upper  parts 
uniform  slate-gray;  bill  and  feet  black. 


BIRDS   FOUND   NEAR  SHORE   OR   IN   BAYS    47 

Adults  in  Winter;  Head,  neck,  and  under  parts  white;   upper  parts 

deep  pearl-gray. 
Young:  Similar   to   winter   adults,   but   feathers  of  back  tipped  with 

brownish,  and  sides  washed  with  slaty. 
Downy    Young:    Upper  parts  dull  dark  brown,  coarsely  mottled  with 

black ;  top  of  head,  throat,  and  breast  plain  blackish  brown  ;  side  of 

head  dull  whitish ;  belly  white,  washed  with  dark  gray. 
Geographical  Distribution :     Temperate    and    tropical    America,    from 

Alaska  to  Brazil  and  Chili. 
Breeding  Range :  Interior  of  United  States  from  latitude  39°  northward. 

On  Pacific  coast  breeds  abundantly  in  Oregon  and  California. 
Breeding  Season :  Approximately,  from  May  10  to  August  1. 
Nest :  The  eggs  are  laid  on  a  mat  of  reeds  and  decaying  vegetation  float- 
ing among  rushes  of  a  marsh,' in  shallow  water  ;  or  occasionally  on 

bare  ground  of  a  mud  flat. 
Eggs:   2  or  3;    brownish  green,   thickly  spotted  with  dark  and  light 

brown  and  light  purple,   mostly  about  the  larger  end.      Size  1.35 

X  0.98. 

THE    Black    Tern  has    long   wings  and  a 
short   tail    which,   with   its    dark   coloring, 
renders   it  easily  dis- 


77.  AMERICAN 
BLACK  TERN. 


"  As  it  picks  dragon-flies 
from  the  low  rushes." 


tinguishable  from  the 
other  species  occur- 
ring on  the   Pa- 
cific  coast.     Like   Sterna  antillarum ',, 
it   is   a  fly-catcher   among   the   terns, 
feeding  almost  entirely  on  aquatic  insects  and  dragon- 
flies.      It  darts  and   skims   over  the  marshes  with  the 


48  WATER   BIRDS 

grace  and  agility  of  a  swallow,  scarcely  pausing  in  its 
flight,  as  it  picks  dragon-flies  from  the  low  rushes  or 
catches  them  in  midair.  Fish  proper  it  scorns.  Cray- 
fish forms  some  part  of  its  diet,  though  possibly  only  a 
small  part.  It  is  found  circling  over  a  marshy  meadow 
as  well  as  above  the  more  open  water  of  the  lakes,  and 
its  nesting  site  is  not  infrequently  an  almost  dry  pool. 
The  choice  of  these  often  seems  to  be  a  mere  matter  of 
whim,  but  probably  is  determined  by  the  abundance  of 
insect  life  in  the  locality. 

120  c.  FARALLONE   CORMORANT.  —  Phalacrocorax 
auritus  albociliatus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Cormorants. 

Length:  25.00-31.00. 

Adults :  Greenish  black  merging  to  grayish  brown  on  back  and  wings. 

All  the  feathers  of  these  parts  bordered  with   black,    producing  a 

scaled  effect. 
Nuptial  Plumage :  On  each  side  of  head  behind  the  eye  there  is  a  small 

tuft  of  long,  curved,  whitish  feathers  ;  gular  sac  bright  orange. 
Young:   Head  and  neck  brownish  gray  shading  to  light  on  chin,  and 

dark  on  top  of  head;  under  parts  brownish,  darker  on  sides;  gular 

sac  yellow. 
Geographical  Distribution:  California,  south  to  Cape  St.  Lucas  and  the 

Revilla  Gigedo  Islands. 
Breeding  Range :  Farallone  Islands. 
Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  A  loosely  constructed  mat  of  kelp,  seaweed,  and  sometimes  twigs. 
Eggs:  From  4  to  5  ;  light  greenish,  covered  with  chalky  film.  Size 

2.40  X  1.54. 

THE  Farallone  Cormorant  may  be  recognized  from  the 
other  species  on  the  Farallone  Islands  by  the  long  white 
tufts  over  the  eyes.  In  nesting  habits  it  is  identical  with 
Brandt's  cormorant,  nor  can  the  eggs  of  the  two  species 


BIRDS   FOUND   NEAR   SHORE   OR   IN   BAYS    49 

be  distinguished  by  an  expert.  Both  nest  in  colonies 
on  the  South  Farallone,  and  Mr.  Corydon  Chamberlin, 
in  the  "  Nidologist,"  1895,  reports  a  rookery  at  Clear 
Lake,  California.  Early  in  May  it  constructs  a  shallow 
nest,  about  a  foot  in  diameter,  lined  with  Farallone  weed 
and  kelp.  Occasionally  one  attempts  to  carry  a  long, 
bulky-looking  string  of  the  latter,  which  trails  behind 
him  as  he  flies,  making  him  look  like  a  winged  polliwog. 
They  mould  .these  nests  to  a  roundness  by  sitting  on 
them,  turning  awkwardly  about  and  working  the  kelp 
into  place  with  feet  and  bill,  but  with  none  of  the  flut- 
tering movements  of  wings  and  tail  apparent  in  the  nest- 
building  of  land  birds.  After  the  nest  is  begun,  one  or 
the  other  of  the  parent  birds  is  constantly  present,  and 
even  then  it  is  a  hard  struggle  to  keep  the  Western  gulls 
from  stealing  the  nesting  material  as  fast  as  it  is  brought. 
The  newly  hatched  Cormorants  lack  the  down  of  most 
young  sea-birds  and  are  not  handsome  babies,  their  fat 
bodies  and  grotesque  long  necks  being  covered  with  a 
leathery-looking  black  skin.  My  observations  convince 
me  that  they  are  fed  by  regurgitation  for  the  first  twenty- 
four  hours  or  longer ;  this  is,  if  possible,  a  more  ludicrous 
process  of  "pumping"  than  in  the  case  of  young  herons.1 
After  this  regurgitation  period  comes  a  time  when  live 
fish  is  brought  to  the  nest  and  torn  or  chewed  by  the 
adults  before  being  given  to  the  nestlings.  As  soon  as 
the  latter  are  able  to  manage  live  fish,  small  carp  are 
popped  into  their  throats  head  first,  and  swallowed  with 
curious  gulpings.  Each  meal  is  followed  by  a  rest  time, 

i  See  Brandt  Cormorant. 

4 


50  WATER  BIRDS 

when  the  half-grown  Cormorant  sits  shrugged  up  into 
a  discouraged-looking  bunch,  or  lolls  listlessly  against 
his  fellow  nestlings.  Around  (and  beneath  the  nest  if 
in  a  tree)  are  bits  of  fish  and  other  debris,  showing  that 
the  supply  often  exceeds  the  demand. 

122.    BRANDT   CORMORANT.  —  Phalacrocorax 
penicillatus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Cormorants. 

Length:  35.00. 

Adults:  Head  and  neck  iridescent  black,  with  a  patch  of  whitish  sur- 
rounding base  of  gular  sac ;  under  parts  iridescent  dark  green ; 
scapulars  and  wing-coverts  dark  green,  edged  with  black. 

Nuptial  Plumage :  Uppermost  scapulars  and  sides  of  neck  ornamented 
with  long  stiff  white  filaments  ;  gular  sac  blue. 

Young :  Head,  neck,  and  rump  dark  brown  ;  rest  of  upper  parts  paler 
brown  ;  under  parts  dusky  brown,  paler  on  throat. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Pacific  coast  of  North  America  from  Cape 
St.  Lucas  to  Washington. 

Breeding  Range :  Islands  of  the  Pacific  from  Lower  California  to  "Wash- 
ington. 

Breeding  Season :  Approximately,  May  1  to  July  20. 

Nest  and  Eggs:  Identical  in  appearance  with  those  of  Farallone  cor- 
morant. Size  2.40  X  1.50. 

THIS  is  the  most  common  cormorant  of  the  California 
coast,  and  may  be  distinguished  by  its  stiff  white  feathers 
on  sides  of  neck  and  by  its  blue  gular  sac.  Rookeries 
are  found  on  seal  rocks  near  Cypress  Point,  Monterey,  at 
Santa  Cruz,  and  on  the  Farallones.  These  birds  nest  in 
colonies  on  the  steepest  crags  and  ledges  of  those  islands. 
About  the  middle  of  May  they  may  be  seen  carrying  sea- 
weed and  kelp  to  their  chosen  site.  There  they  fashion  a 
new  shallow,  bowl-shaped  nest,  which  becomes  cemented 
with  guano ;  or  perhaps  they  redecorate  an  old  one 


122.     BRANDT  CORMORANT 
Phalacrocorax  penicillatus 


BIRDS   FOUND   NEAR   SHORE   OR   IN   BAYS    51 

with  fresh  sea  moss.  From  the  amount  of  guano  used, 
and  the  solidity  with  which  most  of  these  structures 
had  become  cemented  to  the  rock,  —  indeed,  they  seemed 
a  part  of  the  rock  itself,  —  I  judged  that  they  had  been 
handed  down  from  one  cormorant  generation  to  another, 
for  many  years.  Yet  each  season  sees  them  carefully 
redecorated  on  the  outside  with  new,  bright-colored 
seaweed.,  This  weed  is  seldom  picked  up  on  the  rocks, 
but  is  freshly  pulled  from  the  bed  of  the  ocean  near 
shore,  the  birds  diving  in  some  places  more  than  fifty 
feet.  Upon  timing  one,  I  found  it  was  under  water 
two  and  one  half  minutes ;  it  then  reappeared  with 
a  bill  full  of  scarlet  algae.  Here  again  the  mischievous 
gulls  are  in  evidence,  and  the  poor  Cormorant  must  guard 
his  gayly  trimmed  nest,  or  every  bit  of  his  hard-earned 
moss  will  be  stolen.  After  the  five  chalky  green  eggs 
are  laid  his  vigilance  must  never  relax,  for  cormorant 
eggs  and  cormorant  babies  are  the  most  delicious  morsels 
in  a  sea  gull's  menu.  So  the  great  awkward  birds  are 
ever  craning  their  long  necks  this  way  and  that,  — 
watching  before,  behind,  on  every  side,  for  the  white- 
winged  robbers.  The  effect  i.s  that,  from  any  point  of 
view,  a  cormorant  rookery  is  a  weird  sight.  As  the 
days  go  by,  the  pretty  nests  blossom  one  by  one  with 
newly  hatched  Cormorants,  the  very  homeliest  of  all 
created  things.  Their  ungainly  bodies  are  encased  in  a 
naked,  greasy  black  skin,  and  their  preternaturally  long 
necks  end  in  immense  mouths,  so  that  they  resemble 
huge  polliwogs.  Like  polliwogs,  also,  they  are  ever 
wriggling.  For  the  first  few  days  the  young  Cormorants 


52  WATER  BIRDS 

are  fed  by  regurgitation  —  a  curious  process,  always 
alarming  to  the  observer.  The  mother  squats  at  the 
side  of  the  nest,  and  immediately  four  or  five  long  black 
necks  are  stretched  up  like  fingers  of  a  black  kid  glove 
split  at  the  end.  These  wave  helplessly  about,  until  she 
selects  one  and  thrusts  her  bill  far  down  the  split,  which 
is  the  throat  of  the  young.  She  then  violently  shakes  the 
baby,  thereby  emptying  the  food  from  her  mouth  into 
his.  Later  on  small  fish  are  torn  and  given  them.1 


123  b.    BAIRD  CORMORANT.  —  Phalaorocorax 
pelagicus  resplendens. 

FAMILY  :  The  Cormorants. 

Length:  34.00-40.00. 

Adults :  Feathers  of  forehead  advancing  to  base  of  culmen  ;  gular  sac  and 
naked  lores  dull  coral-red  or  reddish  brown  ;  head  and  neck  glossy 
violet-black,  more  purplish  toward  head,  changing  gradually  through 
green-blue  to  glossy  bronze-green  on  under  parts  ;  scapulars  and 
wing-coverts  dark  green,  tinged  with  bronze.  Back  dark  green. 

Nuptial  Plumage :  Neck  and  rump  ornamented  with  narrow  white  fila- 
ment-like feathers;  flanks  with  a  large  patch  of  pure  white. 

Young :  Uniform  brownish  dusky,  merging  to  grayish  on  head ;  the 
upper  parts  darker,  with  glossy  greenish  reflections. 

Downy  Young:  Covered  with  down  of  a  uniform  dark  sooty  gray 
(Ridgeway). 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  of  North  America  from  Wash- 
ington south  to  Cape  St.  Lucas,  and  Mazatlan,  Mexico. 

Breeding  Range :  Islands  near  the  coast  of  California  and  Washington. 

Breeding  Season:  Approximately,  June  1  to  July  15. 

Nest:  Of  rock  moss  or  kelp  on  ledges  of  perpendicular  rock. 

Eggs :  4  ;  pale  bluish  green,  with  lime  deposit  on  surface.  Size 
2.19  X  1.44. 

THE  Baird  Cormorants  are  less  common  and  more 
timid  than  either  of  the  foregoing  species.     They  may 

1  See  Farallone  Cormorants. 


BIRDS   FOUND   NEAR   SHORE   OR   IN   BAYS     53 

be  recognized  by  a  white  patch  on  each  flank.  They 
breed  in  very  small  rookeries  of  ten  or  a  dozen  pairs,  — 
instead  of  several  hundred  as  is  the  case  with  Brandt 
cormorants,  —  and  are  frequently  found  nesting  alone. 
Their  site  is  usually  the  most  inaccessible  rocks  in  the 
vicinity.  Frequently,  so  narrow  is  the  ledge  chosen 
that  the  young  are  crowded  off  and  are  killed  by  the 
fall  to  the  water  or  rocks  below.  Each  season  the  old 
nests  are  used,  being  repaired  with  kelp  or  relined  with 
fresh  sea  moss.  Baird  Cormorants,  though  so  retiring, 
are  particularly  courageous  in  defence  of  their  nests  and 
young,  and  are  either  so  devoted  to  the  former  or  so 
stupid  that  they  will  return  after  being  robbed  and 
brood  upon  the  empty  nest.  Their  nests  are  con- 
structed with  greater  care  than  those  of  the  other 
species  mentioned,  and  are  lined  with  the  more  deli- 
cate varieties  of  sea  moss  as  well  as  the  coarse  kelp. 
They  become  cemented  into  a  more  or  less  solid  mass 
and  also  glued  to  the  rock  with  guano.  Some  of  them 
are  so  solid  as  to  warrant  the  opinion  that  they  have 
been  in  use  many  years.  The  feeding  habits  of  this 
species  are  like  those  of  the  Brandt  and  Farallone 
cormorants. 

125.    AMERICAN   WHITE    PELICAN.  —  Pdecanus 
erythrorhynchos. 

FAMILY  :  The  Pelicans. 

Length :  4J-6  feet. 

Adult  Nuptial  Plumnge :  Entirely  white,  quills  black,  whitish  at  base ; 
a  pendant  crest  of  pale  yellow  feathers,  and  a  horny  protuberance  on 
top  of  bill ;  pouch  and  bill  reddish  ;  feet  bright  red. 


54  WATER   BIRDS 

Adults  in  Winter :  Similar  to  above,  but  lacking  the  crest  and  the  horny 
protuberance  on  bill.  Pouch,  bill,  and  feet  lemon-yellow. 

Young :  Plumage  white,  merging  to  brownish  gray  on  top  of  head  ; 
bill,  pouch,  and  feet  pale  lemon. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Temperate  North  America,  south  in  winter 
to  Mexico  ;  common  on  the  coast  of  California. 

Breeding  Range :  Southeastern  Oregon,  Red  River  valley  in  British  Co- 
lumbia; lakes  of  the  interior  west  of  Mississippi  River,  and  from  Utah 
northward. 

Breeding  Season:  Approximately,  April  15  to  August. 

Nest:  A  pile  of  sand  heaped  up  about  8  inches  high  and  14  inches 
in  diameter,  sometimes  lined  with  sticks  and  slightly  hollowed  out 
on  top.  Usually  on  dry  sandy  beach  of  an  island. 

Eggs:  2,  rarely  4  ;  chalky  white.     Size  3.45  X  2.30. 

THE  American  White  Pelican  has  become  a  com- 
paratively rare  bird  east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  but 
is  abundant  throughout  the  coast  of  Southern  and  Cen- 
tral California  and  on  Santa  Barbara  Island.  Mr. 
Grinnell  reports  it  breeding  at  Eagle  Lake.  It  feeds 
while  on  or  in  the  water,  scooping  the  fish  in  its  bill 
when  swimming  or  wading,  seldom  diving  for  them 
from  the  air,  and  always  tossing  the  catch  until  it  can 
be  swallowed  head  first.  Crustacea  are  rarely  if  ever 
eaten  by  this  species,  and  they  will  travel  many  miles 
for  fish  rather  than  eat  frogs. 

"  Often  a  flock  will  band  together  and,  by  beating 
their  wings,  drive  a  school  of  fishes  into  the  shallows, 
where  they  gather  up  large  numbers  at  every  scoop  of 
their  big  bag.  The  water  taken  is  allowed  to  drain  out 
of  the  corners,  and  the  fish  are  swallowed.  If  the  bird 
is  fishing  to  feed  her  young,  she  still  does  the  same, 
and  afterwards  disgorges  the  fish ;  for  she  could  not 
fly  if  her  pouch  were  filled  with  fishes."1 

1  Mrs.  Eckstrom,  in  "The  Bird  Book." 


BIRDS   FOUND   NEAR   SHORE   OR   IN   BAYS    55 

It  is  the  White  Pelican  that  the  gulls  torment  so  by 
stealing  his  hard-earned  catch  time  after  time.  And 
the  Pelican,  always  of  dignified  and  care-burdened  mien, 
looks  comically  disconsolate  over  losing  his  dinner  in 
this  fashion.  Yet  he  makes  no  attempt  to  defend  him- 
self, for  he  has  no  chance ;  the  quick  gulls  have  seized 
the  booty  and  fled  before  his  slow  brain  and  slower 
body  can  move  to  resent  the  robbery. 

127.  CALIFORNIA    BROWN    PELICAN.  —  Pelecanus 

occidentalis  californicus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Pelicans. 

Length :  4^-5  feet. 

Nuptial  Plumage :  Head  and  chin  white,  the  top  of  head  tinged  with 
straw-yellow  ;  a  chestnut  patch  more  or  less  lengthened  to  crest  on 
back  of  head  ;  neck  chestnut,  merging  to  seal-brown  ;  upper  parts, 
including  wings  and  tail,  silver  gray,  more  or  less  streaked  with  seal- 
brown  ;  under  parts  dark  brow'nish,  streaked  with  white  ;  pouch  and 
feet  red. 

Adults  in  Winter:  Similar,  but  entire  head  and  neck  white,  somewhat 
tinged  with  straw-color ;  pouch  and  feet  dull  olive. 

Young :  Head,  neck,  and  upper  parts  light-brownish  gray,  tipped  with 
paler ;  under  parts  white,  washed  with  brownish  gray  on  sides. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Pacific  coast  from  British  Columbia  to  the 
Galapagos. 

Breeding  Range :  Islands  off  coast  of  Lower  California  and  Mexico. 

Breeding  Season:  May  and  June. 

Nest :  Usually  on  the  ground,  sometimes  in  the  mangrove  trees  ;  a 
loosely  constructed,  rather  bulky  mass  of  sticks  and  weed-stalks  ;  lined 
with  grass. 

Eggs:  2  to  5  ;  chalky  white.     Size  3.00  X  2.01. 

THE  California  Brown  Pelican  is  abundant  through- 
out California,  especially  from  Santa  Cruz  southward. 
At  almost  any  time  of  the  day  during  the  fall,  winter, 
and  early  spring,  a  flock  of  them  may  be  seen  lazily 


56  WATER   BIRDS 

flying  along  the  coast  over  the  water  in  pelican  fashion, 
one  behind  another.  Their  flight  is  characteristic,  being 
five  or  six  wing-strokes  taken  by  all  simultaneously, 
followed  by  a  soaring,  which  lasts  until  the  leader  gives 
the  signal  for  more  wing-strokes.  Back  and  forth  up 
and  down  the  coast,  always  in  pelican  single  file,  the 
line  broken  only  when  one  dives  to  the  water  for  an 
especially  tempting  fish.  At  the  inlet  on  the  west  side 
of  the  isthmus  of  Santa  Catalina,  the  early  morning 
hours  are  vocal  with  the  noise  of  their  fishing.  Plunk  ! 
plunk  !  —  they  dive  one  by  one  from  various  heights, 
striking  the  water  with  a  heavy  splash  that  can  be 
heard  several  hundred  feet.  Mr.  Gosse  says  that  these 
Pelicans  invariably  turn  a  somersault  under  the  surface 
of  the  water ;  for  they  descend  diagonally,  and  the  head 
emerges  in  the  opposite  direction. 

Although  shown  a  young  Brown  Pelican  which  the 
owner  said  he  had  taken  from  the  nest  on  Santa  Cata- 
lina Islands,  I  found  that  the  fishermen  there  agreed 
with  Mr.  Grinnell  that  no  pelicans  nested  nearer  than 
Los  Coronados  Islands.  As  they  return  to  the  same 
breeding  ground  year  after  year,  the  rookery  would  cer- 
tainly have  been  discovered,  no  matter  how  inaccessible. 

180.    WHISTLING   SWAN.  —  Olor  columbianus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Ducks,  Geese,  and  Swans. 

Length :  About  4£  feet. 

Adults:  Uniform  white;  basal  portion  of  bill  white,  with  lores  black, 

the  latter  usually  with  a  small  yellow  spot. 
Young :  Light  grayish ;  bill  pinkish  ;  feet  light. 


BIRDS   FOUND   NEAR   SHORE   OR   IN   BAYS    57 

Geographical  Distribution :  Whole  of  North  America. 

Breeding  Range:  Arctic  regions. 

Breeding  Season :  June,  July,  .and  possibly  May. 

Nest:  "The  eggs  are  usually  laid  on  a  tussock  surrounded  with  water, 

and  so  near  it  that   the  female  sometimes  sits  with  her  feet  in  the 

water."  * 
Eggs:  3  to  6  ;  grayish  white,  stained  with  rusty.     Size  4.19  X  2.72. 

THIS  beautiful  bird  is  found  in  the  United  States  only 
in  winter  and  while  migrating  in  spring  and  fall.  It  is 
rare  in  California,  but  a  few  remain  through  the  winter 
in  the  interior  of  the  northern  part  of  the  State.  The 
peculiar  call  note  is  kept  up  while  the  birds  are  mi- 
grating ;  it  resembles  the  "  honk  "  of  wild  geese,  but  is 
shriller  and  more  metallic  in  tone.  Heard  overhead  in 
a  small  valley  shut  in  by  mountains,  it  has  a  weird, 
vibrant  quality. 

181.    TRUMPETER    SWAN.  —  Olor  buccinator. 
FAMILY  :  The  Ducks,  Geese,  and  Swans. 

Length:  5-5  J  feet. 

Adults:  Plumage  uniform  white  ;  bill  and  lores  jet  black. 

Young :  Grayish  brown,  browner  on  head  and  neck. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Interior  of  North  America,  west  to  the  Pacific 

coast ;  rare  or  casual  on  the  Atlantic. 

Breeding  Range:  Interior  of  the  Northern  United  States  northward. 
Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  On  high  ground;  of  grasses  and  moss ;  lined  with  down  and  feathers. 
Eggs:  2  to  6  ;  white.     Size  4.30  X  2.60. 

A  NOT  uncommon  bird  in  California  during  the  winter 
and  early  spring.  It  is  found  somewhat  back  from 
the  coast  in  the  fresh-water  sloughs.  According  to 
Mr.  Shields,  the  cry  of  the  Trumpeter  Swan  resembles 
the  tones  of  the  French  horn.  Certainly  it  is  a  different 

i  Davie. 


58  WATER   BIRDS 

sound  from  the  shrill  notes  of  the  preceding  species, 
being  deeper  and  more  mellow.  It  is  a  more  common 
bird  in  Southern  California,  and  may  be  heard,  as  well 
as  seen,  in  large  flocks  migrating  during  the  early  spring 
and  late  fall.  It  trumpets,  however,  at  dusk  and  day- 
break, for  an  hour  at  a  time  without  ceasing,  and  is 
particularly  noisy  at  nesting  time  when  feeding  its 
young;'  the  united  clamor  carries  the  news  of  its 
presence  at  the  nest  to  listeners  a  mile  or  two  away. 
Although  the  arctic  regions  are  the  breeding  ground 
of  this  bird,  a  few  pairs  are  said  by  Mr.  Lockhart  to 
breed  on  the  Saskatchewan  River  in  British  Columbia. 


BIRDS   FOUND    ALONG    THE 
BE A CHES 

224.    WILSON    PH ALAROPE.  —  Steganopus  tricolor. 
FAMILY  :  The  Phalaropes. 

Length:  Female,  10.00  ;  male,  9.00,  a  little  smaller  than  a  robin. 

Male  in  Breeding  Plumage:  Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  brownest  on 

crown  and  merging  to  reddish  brown  on  sides  of  neck  in  a  more  or 

less  distinct  stripe  ;  line  over  eye  and  under  parts  white,  tinged  with 

buff  on  throat  and  breast. 
Female  in  Breeding  Plumage :  Back  and  crown  slaty  gray  ;  a  black  stripe 

on  sides  of  head  and  neck  merging  to  red-brown  on  shoulders  ;  line 

over  eye  and  under  parts  white,  tinged  with  light  brown  on  chest 

and  lower  part  of  throat. 
Adults  in  Winter:  Upper  parts  dusky  gray  ;  under  parts  white,  washed 

with  grayish  on  chest  and  sides. 
Downy  Young :  Light  cinnamon-brown  above,  paler  below,  merging  to 

white  on  under  parts.    Line  of  black  through  crown  and  nape  to  back 

of  neck.     Three  black  stripes  on  lower  back. 


BIRDS   FOUND  ALONG  THE   BEACHES      59 

Geographical  Distribution :  From  British  Columbia,  south  in  winter  to 
Brazil. 

Breeding  Range  :  Breeds  locally  throughout  the  United  States  from  lati- 
tude 35°  northward.  At  Lake  Tahoe  and  other  points  in  California. 

Breeding  Season  :  May  20  to  July  15. 

Nest :  A  slight  depression  in  the  ground  ;  lined  with  grass. 

Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  butfy,  marked  with  umber.     Size  1.30  X  1.60. 

WILSOX  PHALAROPES  present  some  unique  features 
of  bird  life.  The  female  is  an  inch  or  more  longer  than 
the  male  and  larger  in  proportion.  She  is  more  con- 
spicuously marked,  and  is  the  handsomer  of  the  two,  — 
a  condition  rarely  found  ^J0*K\  -.^c^sssstMT  arnon» 
avifauna.  Although  so^^  pWoSf^*"111  ail(l 


....^..^^ 


224.   WILSON  PHALAROPE. 

"Picking  up  their  own  food  before  they  were  ten  hours  old." 

dainty,  she  is  naturally,  perhaps,  somewhat  overbear- 
ing in  her  domestic  relations,  refusing  to  consider  her 
master  in  anything.  She  does  all  the  wooing,  and 
woe  to  the  unfortunate  male  if  two  females  place 
their  choice  upon  him.  No  voice  will  he  have  in  the 
matter,  for  the  more  persistent  or  the  stronger  will  win, 
and  he  must  follow  her.  To  do  him  justice,  he  seems 
to  admire  her  fully  as  much  because  she  is  aggressive. 
Once  the  choice  is  made  his  daily  life  is  cut  out  for  him. 
He  must  make  the  nest  in  which  madam  condescends 
to  lay  three  or  four  buff  eggs  spotted  with  dark  brown. 
After  that  the  entire  care  of  incubation  and  rearing  the 
brood  devolves  upon  him.  In  one  instance  at  least,  I 


60  WATER   BIRDS 

am  positive  that  the  mother  was  not  near  the  nest  at 
any  time  after  the  eggs  were  laid.  The  male  brooded 
continually,  leaving  only  when  necessary  to  obtain  food. 
Almost  as  soon  as  the  down  was  dry  on  the  chicks  they 
ran  out  of  the  nest  like  little  sandpipers,  and  followed 
him  about  up  and  down  the  beach,  picking  up  their 
own  food,  before  they  were  ten  hours  old,  and  the 
second  day  they  were  swimming  in  the  shallow  water 
as  gayly  as  any  of  the  adult  birds. 

The  Phalaropes  are  not  rare  along  the  eastern  part  of 
California,  and  doubtless  nest  in  other  marshes  than 
those  bordering  some  parts  of  Lake  Tahoe.  They  breed 
there  quite  abundantly,  and  their  sandpiper-like  cries 
mingle  with  the  plaintive  notes  of  the  killdeer  whenever 
anyone  enters  the  nesting  place.  Like  the  killdeer,  also, 
the  Phalarope  will  fly  restlessly  back  and  forth  over  its 
home,  revealing  by  its  very  anxiety  what  it  is  most 
anxious  to  conceal.  Wilson  Phalarope  is  exclusively 
an  American  species,  and  is  less  common  on  the  coasts 
than  in  the  interior. 

225.    AMERICAN   AVOCET.—  Recurvirostra  americana. 
FAMILY  :  The  Avocets  and  Stilts. 

Length:  17.00. 

Adults  in  Summer:  Head,  neck,  shoulders,   and  chest  uniform  light 

reddish  brown,  merging  to  buff  at  base  of  bill ;  rump,  wing-patches, 

and  belly  white  ;  scapulars  and  primaries  black  ;  bill  long,  black,  and 

curved  upward ;  feet  and  legs  grayish  blue. 
Adults  in  Winter:  Head,  neck,  and  chest  grayish  white  ;  otherwise  as 

in  summer. 
Downy  Young:  Upper  parts  grayish,  mottled  with  darker  ;  under  parts 

lighter,    nearly  white   on   throat    and  chest ;    dark,  almost  black, 

splatches  on  the  rump  and  shoulders. 


BIRDS   FOUND   ALONG  THE   BEACHES       61 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Western  United  States  in  general  from  lati- 
tude 30°  to  the  Canadian  border ;  south  in  winter  to  Guatemala  and 
West  Indies. 

Breeding  Range :  The  plains  of  the  Dakotas,  Montana,  Wyoming,  Colo- 
rado, Utah,  and  interior  of  California. 

Breeding  Season  :  June  to  July  15. 

Nest :  Of  grass  stems  matted  together  ;  placed  in  tall  grass  near  water. 

Eggs:  2  or  3;  light  olive,  spotted  with  brown.     Size  1.90  X  1.35. 

THE  American  Avocet  is  a  conspicuous  bird  under  any 
circumstances,  for  its  long,  curved-up  bill,  intensely  black 
and  white  plumage,  and  long  blue  legs  are  sure  to  attract 
attention.  In  some  localities  its  blue  legs  have  given 
it  the  nickname  of  "  blue-stocking."  In  writing  of  these 
birds,  Mr.  Frank  Chapman  says :  "  They  frequent  shores 
and  shallow  pools,  and  in  searching  for  shells,  crusta- 
ceans, etc.,  their  peculiar  recurved  bill  is  used  in  a  most 
interesting  manner.  Dropping  it  beneath  the  surface 
of  the  water  until  its  convexity  touches  the  bottom,  they 
move  rapidly  forward,  and  with  every  step  swing  their 
bill  from  side  to  side  as  a  mower  does  his  scythe.  In 
this  way  they  secure  food  which  the  muddy  water  would 
prevent  them  from  seeing." 

They  may  occasionally  be  found  swimming  in  small 
companies,  but  never  in  exposed  or  very  open  water,  and 
usually  as  near  shore  as  possible.  The  nest  is  made  in 
a  wet  meadow,  and  is  not  unlike  that  of  a  king  rail,  ex- 
cept for  size.  The  young,  like  the  young  rails,  are  taken 
to  the  edge  of  a  meadow,  and,  until  they  are  two  or 
three  days  old,  do  not  go  into  the  water.  They  pick 
up  bugs  for  themselves  from  the  damp  ground  and 
run  to  cover  at  the  call  of  the  mother,  after  the  manner 
of  killdeer.  Their  note  is  seldom  heard  until  nightfall 


62  WATER   BIRDS 

when,  during  nesting  season,  it  adds  much  to  the  weird- 
ness  of  the  marsh  music.  The  alarm  call  is  something 
between  a  croak  and  a  whistle,  but  usually  the  retreat 
is  made  with  no  sound  but  the  soft  flutter  of  wings  as 
the  birds  take  refuge  in  the  tall  marsh  grass. 

226.   BLACK-NECKED    STILT.  —  Himantopus  mexkanus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Avocets  and  Stilts. 

Length:  14.50-15.00. 

Adult  Male:  Back  of  head  and  neck,  upper  back,  and  wings  iridescent 

greenish  black  ;  tail  grayish  ;  forehead,  throat,  and  under  parts  white  ; 

white  spots  above   and   below  each  eye  ;    bill  black  ;    feet  and  legs 

flesh -color. 

Adult  Female:  Similar  to  male,  except  back,  which  is  grayish  brown. 
Downy    Young:  Upper  parts  light  grayish,  mottled  with  dark  ;   large 

black  patch  on  back  and  rump  ;  crown  light  grayish,  with  median 

line  of  black  ;  under  parts  white. 
Geographical  Distribution :  United  States,  chiefly  west  of  the  Great  Lakes  ; 

south  in  winter  to  Brazil. 
.Breeding  Range:  From  Southern  States  to  Oregon.     In  California,  breeds 

in  Los  Angeles  County  and  in  various  localities  in  interior  of  State 

north  to  Sutter  County,  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  ;  east  of  the  Sierra 

Nevada  it  breeds  as  far  north  as  Rhett  Lake. 
Breeding  Season:  May  1  to  June  16. 
Nest:  A  shallow  depression  in  ground  ;  lined  with  grass  and  occasionally 

rimmed  with  rootlets  ;  usually  in  grass  on  edge  of  lake. 
Eggs:  3  to  4 ;  light  olive-brown,  thickly  and  irregularly  marked  with 

purplish  brown.     Size  1.72  X  1.20. 

THIS  bird  with  the  extraordinarily  long  legs  is  rare 
east  of  the  Mississippi  River,  but  throughout  the  West 
it  is  abundant.  It  is  a  common  summer  visitant  in 
California,  where  it  breeds  in  colonies.  Formerly  it  was 
found  in  numbers-  in  Los  Angeles  County,  but  of  late 
years  it  seems  to  prefer  more  northern  nesting  grounds, 
although  a  few  pairs  still  breed  there  every  year.  It  is 


BIRDS   FOUND    ALONG   THE   BEACHES       63 

a  picturesque  graceful  bird,  well  proportioned  in  spite 
of  the  stilt-like  legs  which  give  it  its  name.  In  flight 
it  is  not  unlike  the  cranes,  but  when  alighting  it  drops 
its  feet  and  raises  its  wings,  poising  a  moment,  as  do 
the  gulls.  It  feeds  upon  small  fresh-water  crustaceans, 
mollusks,  and  larvae  of  insects,  not  scorning  earthworms, 
and  picks  its  way  daintily  through  the  marsh  grass  in 
search  of  favorite  tidbits,  with  a  charming  air  of  quiet 
grace.  Surprised,  it  springs  into  flight,  trailing  its  long 
legs  behind  it.  During  the  breeding  season  it  is  quite 
noisy,  uttering  its  hoarse  croaks  continually,  until  the 
whereabouts  of  its  nesting  place  may  be  known  by  any 
who  will  investigate.  A  large  part  of  this  noise  occurs 
when  the  food  is  brought  to  the  mate  on  the  nest, 
where  it  receives  a  joyous,  if  unmusical,  welcome.  The 
nestlings  look  like  balls  of  down  perched  upon  tooth- 
picks, but  neither  their  legs  nor  their  bills  are  developed 
at  all  in  proportion  to  those  of  the  adults.  They  are 
spry,  like  the  young  of  most  ground  birds,  and  in  a 
marvellously  short  time  become  self-supporting. 

232.  LONG-BILLED   DOWITCHER.  —  Macrorkamphus 
griseus  scolopaceus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Snipes  and  Sandpipers. 

Length:  11.00-12.50. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Upper  parts  black,  mottled  with  buff  and  light  red- 
brown  ;  rump  mottled  black  and  white,  and  tail  barred  black  and 
white  ;  a  light  line  over  eye,  and  a  dark  one  from  eye  to  bill ;  under 
parts  mottled  on  throat,  breast,  and  belly  with  red-brown  and  black- 
ish ;  sides  and  lower  tail-coverts  barred  with  same  colors. 

Adults  in  Winter :  Plumage  uniform  dusky  gray  ;  line  over  eye  and  the 
lower  belly  white. 


64  WATER   BIRDS 

Young:  Similar,  but  belly  and  chest  tinged  with  uniform  light  red- 
brown. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Mississippi  valley  and  Western  North  Amer- 
ica from  Mexico  to  Alaska.  In  California  it  is  found  as  a  common 
winter  visitant  in  the  interior  valleys. 

Breeding  Range :  The  Yukon  valley  and  arctic  regions. 

Breeding  Season :  May  28  to  July  1. 

Nest :  A  shallow  depression  in  Alaskan  moss  ;  placed  on  dry  hill-tops. 

Eygs :  3  or  4  ;  dirty  grayish  buff,  marked  with  blackish  brown.  Size 
1.80  X  1.20. 

IN  California,  the  Long-billed  Dowitchers  occur  only 
in  the  winter,  when  cold  drives  them  southward  from 
their  chosen  haunts  among  the  frozen  regions  of  Alaska. 
They  come  in  October,  flying  in  little  companies  along 
the  coast  region  or  through  the  interior  valleys,  feeding 
wherever  there  is  a  suitable  marshy  place.  About  San 
Francisco  Bay  and  Alviso  they  may  occasionally  be  seen 
on  migration,  but  as  soon  as  possible  they  find  winter 
quarters  in  the  more  sheltered  valleys.  Their  flight  is 
strong  and  swift,  though  rather  low.  When  resting,  the 
Dowitchers  huddle  together  in  the  tall  grass,  and  are 
either  so  confiding  or  so  stupid  that  they  are  easy  victims 
to  the  hunter.  To  know  them  one  must  watch  them  in 
their  nesting  grounds  in  the  Yukon  valley.  Here,  ac- 
cording to  Mr.  Nelson,  their  noisy  wooing  can  be  heard 
morning  and  evening,  the  love  song  being  a  clear  "  pee- 
ter-wee4oo ;  wee-too !  pee-ter-wee-too  ;  wee-too,"  sung 
as  the  pair  hover  in  midair,  twenty  yards  above  the 
earth. 

The  unlined  nest  is  usually  in  a  clump  of  Alaskan 
moss  or  dry  grass,  and  not  very  near  the  water.  The 
young  are  covered  with  brownish  gray  down,  so  pro- 
tective in  coloring  as  to  render  their  discovery  difficult. 


BIRDS   FOUND   ALONG  THE   BEACHES      65 

If  disturbed,  the  mother  flies  a  short  distance  with  a 
shrill  cry  and,  hiding  behind  a  tussock,  watches  the 
intruder  but  makes  no  attempt  to  defend. 

By  September  1  the  adults  are  in  winter  plumage  and 
ready  for  their  trip  south. 

242.  LEAST  SANDPIPER,   OR   MEADOW   OXEYE. 

Pisobia  minutilla. 

FAMILY  :  The  Snipes  and  Sandpipers. 

Length:  5.00-7.00. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Upper  parts  dusky,  nearly  black  ;  feathers  edged 

with  light  red-brown  ;  middle  tail-feathers  black,  outer  ones  gray  ; 

upper  throat,   bell}',    and   sides   white  ;   neck  and  breast  yellowish 

white,  streaked  with  dusky. 
Adults  in  Winter:  Upper  parts  lighter  than  in  summer,  and  clouded 

with  dusky  ;  under  parts  light  gray,  finely  streaked  with  darker. 
Young :  Similar,  but  with  heavy  black  streak  through  crown  and  middle 

of  back. 
Geographical  Distribution:  North   America,  wintering  from   the   Gulf 

States  southward. 

Breeding  Range  :  From  Canada  to  arctic  regions. 
Breeding  Season  :  May  15  to  June  15. 
Nest :  A  slight  depression  in  the  dry  ground  near  water ;  usually  lined 

with  leaves  and  grasses. 

Eggs :  3  or  4 ;  light  gray,  speckled  with  cinnamon  and  lavender.     Size 
1.15  X  0.85. 

THESE  tiny  little  Sandpipers  are  commonly  found  in 
flocks,  alone  or  in  company  with  the  semipal  mated  sand- 
pipers, along  the  shores  of  the  bays  and  lakes  of  Cali- 
fornia during  the  fall,  winter,  and  spring.  They  trip 
lightly  along  the  beaches,  just  at  the  edge  of  the  water, 
with  a  dainty  bobbing  walk,  scurrying  out  of  the  reach 
of  a  wave,  picking  up  bugs  and  water  insects,  and  so 
absorbed  in  the  fun  that  they  forget  to  be  afraid.  Mr. 


66  WATER   BIRDS 

Bailey  describes  them  as  quick  to  take  alarm,  but  I 
have  had  them  pick  up  food  almost  under  my  feet. 
Their  habit  of  frequenting  the  meadows  in  the  vicinity 
of  water  and  hiding  in  the  long  grass  has  given  them 
the  name  of  "  Meadow  Oxeye."  On  account  of  their 
small  size,  they  escape  the  covetous  eye  of  sportsmen 
and  plume-hunters,  and  are  in  little  danger  of  being 
decimated  by  the  gun.  When  newly  hatched,  the  young 
are  not  larger  than  a  man's  thumb,  and  they  begin  im- 
mediately to  run  about  on  their  spry  little  legs. 


243  a    RED-BACKED   SANDPIPER,   OR   OX   BIRD. 

Pelidna  alpina  sakhalina. 

(Common  names  :  American  Dunlin ;  Lead  Back ;  Black 

Breast.) 

FAMILY  :  The  Snipes  and  Sandpipers. 

Length:  7.50-8.00. 

Adults  in  Summer:  Upper  parts  bright  reddish-brown,  more  or  less 

mottled   and    streaked  with   black  ;    breast  whitish,    streaked  with 

dark  gray  ;  centre  of  belly  black  ;  sides  and  lower  belly  white. 
Adults  in    Winter:   Upper  parts  brownish   gray,   streaked   with  dark 

gray ;  breast  ashy,  streaked  indistinctly  with  darker ;  rump,  throat, 

and  belly  white. 
Young:  Similar  to  winter  adults,  but  with  upper  parts  streaked  with 

black  and  buflfy. 
Geographical  Distribution :  North  America  ;  south  in  winter  to  South 

America. 

Breeding  Range :  Arctic  regions. 
Nest :  A  slight  hollow ;  lined  with  grass. 
Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  grayish  buffy  or  greenish  white,  dotted  with  shades  of 

brown.     Size  1.43  X  1.01. 

THIS  species  may  be  known  in  any  plumage  by  its 
curved  bill.     It  is  common  along  the  coast  of  California 


FIRDS    FOUND   ALONG   THE   BEACHES       67 

in  the  winter,  and  is  found  in  the  interior  in  spring  and 
fall.  Early  in  May  it  leaves  for  its  breeding  grounds 
in  the  arctic  regions,  returning  in  October.  It  is  seen 
usually  in  large  flocks,  and,  being  less  active  than  most 
shore  birds,  is  oftener  a  victim  to  the  surf  of  the  winter 
storms.  Walking  along  the  beach  after  a  blustering 
night  or  day,  one  occasionally  may  find  the  lifeless 
bodies  of  these  little  birds  half  buried  in  the  sand,  not 
in  the  same  numbers  as  the  more  venturesome  waders, 
but  enough  to  sadden  a  morning  tramp. 

247.   WESTERN    SANDPIPER.  —  Ereuneles  mauri. 
FAMILY  :  The  Snipes  and  Sandpipers. 

Length :  7.00  or  8.00. 

Adults  in  Summer:  Upper  parts  black  or  dusky,  conspicuously  mottled 

with  buffy  and  red -brown  ;  breast  and  sides  streaked  with  blackish  ; 

rest  of  under  parts  white. 
Adults  in  Winter:  Upper  parts  dull  brownish  gray,  indistinctly  streaked 

with  dusky  ;  under  parts  white,  with  faint  dusky  spots  on  breast  and 

sides. 

Downy  Young:  Upper  parts  bright  rusty  buff,  spotted  with  black  ;  a 
black   line   through   crown  and  middle   of   back  ;    hair-like  feathers 

among  the  down,  tipped  with  yellow  ;  under  parts  cream-white. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Western  North  America  ;  south  in  winter  to 

Central  America. 

Breeding  Range :  Alaska  and  British  America. 
Breeding  Season:  June  1  to  July  1. 

Nest:  A  hollow  in  the  ground,  with  scanty  lining  of  grasses. 
Eggs:  4;   clay-colored,    thickly   speckled   with   reddish  brown.      Size 

1.20  X  0.87. 

THE  Western  Sandpiper  is  abundant  on  the  Pacific 
coast  during  the  spring  and  fall  migrations.  In  its 
nesting  grounds  it  is  said  by  Mr.  Nelson  to  be  fearless, 
and  conspicuously  devoted  to  its  young.  He  gives  an 


68  WATER   BIRDS 

instance  in  which  a  bird  returned  to  her  eggs  across 
a  man's  outstretched  arms.  During  migrations  the 
Western  Sandpiper  rests  occasionally  for  two  or  three 
days  in  one  locality.  It  is  less  timid  than  most  of  its 
family. 

248.  SANUERLING.  —  Calidris  leucophaea. 

(Common   names :    Surf  Snipe ;    Ruddy    Plover  ;    Beach 

Bird.) 

FAMILY  :  The  Snipes  and  Sandpipers. 

Length:  7.00-9.00. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Upper  parts  mottled  white,  gray,  and  black  ;  darker 

through  crown  and  middle  of  back  ;  wing-bar  and  entire  under  parts 

white. 
Adults  in   Winter:  Upper  parts  ashy  gray;  bend   of  wing   blackish; 

under  parts  uniform  clear  white. 
Young:  Upper  parts  pale  gray,  spotted  with  black  and  white  ;  under 

parts  white. 
Geographical    Distribution:    "Nearly    cosmopolitan."     In    America    a 

few  winter  in  Texas  and  California,  and  from  there  southward  to 

Patagonia. 

Breeding  Range :  Arctic  and  subarctic  regions. 
Breeding  Season:  June  15  to  July  15. 
Nest :  A  slight  depression  in  ground  ;   lined  with  grasses. 
Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  greenish  buffy,  speckled  with  brown.     Size  1.41  X  0.91. 

THE  Sanderling  inhabits  the  entire  American  con- 
tinent, and  may  be  found  during  spring  and  fall  mi- 
grations picking  up  its  food  on  nearly  every  salt-water 
beach.  It  follows  closely  in  the  wake  of  each  receding 
wave,  scampering  out  of  the  way  of  the  returning  water 
with  swiftness  and  dainty  grace.  This  game  of  tag  with 
the  ocean  would  seem  to  be  as  much  for  fun  as  for  food, 
for  I  have  often  watched  them  as  they  ran  back  and 
forth  after  the  waves  for  several  minutes  without  pick- 


BIRDS   FOUND   ALONG  THE   BEACHES       69 

Ing   up   anything.       In   California   the   Sanderling  fre- 
quently  remains   all   winter  and  adds  to  the  delights 


248.   SANDERLING. 

"A  game  of  tag  with  the  ocean." 

of  a  stroll  along  the  beach.  Not  especially  shy,  it  will 
permit  one  to  come  within  twenty  feet  of  it,  and  it  pays 
no  attention  to  any  observer  seated  on  the  sand. 

254.    GREATER  YELLOW-LEGS.  —  Totanus  melanoleucus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Snipes  and  Sandpipers. 

Length:  12.00-15.00. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Upper  parts  black,  streaked  and  spotted  with  white 

and  gray  ;    tail  and  upper  tail-coverts  white,   barred  with  black  ; 

middle 'of  belly  white  ;  rest  of  under  parts  white,  spotted  or  barred 

with  black  ;  throat  streaked  light  and  dark  gray. 
Adults  in  Winter:  Similar,   but  upper  parts  dark  gray,  mottled  with 

white ;    under  parts  white,  finely  speckled  with  gray  on  throat  and 

upper  breast. 
Young :  Similar  to  winter  adults,  but  white  of  plumage  tinged  with 

buffy. 
Geographical  Distribution :  North  America  ;  south  in  winter  to  South 

America. 

Breeding  Runge  :  From  latitude  40°  northward. 
Nest :  A  shallow,  grass-lined  depression  in  the  ground. 
Eggs  :  3  or  4  ;  muddy  buff,  marked  with  dark  brown.    Size  1.43  X  1.20. 

THE    Greater    Yellow-legs   is   an   abundant  migrant 
throughout  California,  some  remaining  in  the  southern 


70  WATER   BIRDS 

portion  near  the  coast  throughout  the  winter,  and,  doubt- 
less, a  few  breed  in  the  more  northern  Sierra  Nevada 
district,  though  I  am  unable  to  find  any  authoritative 
breeding  record.  My  own  record  shows  that  none  were 
seen  by  me  after  May  9,  although  a  search  and  lookout 
were  maintained.  They  are  conspicuous  birds,  and  not 
easily  mistaken  for  others  of  their  family.  The  white 
tail  and  rump  are  distinguishing  marks,  particularly  in 
flight.  This  bird  is  the  sentinel  of  the  game-birds, 
giving  warning  of  the  approach  of  the  hunter  in  loud, 
whistling  notes  repeated  rapidly ;  hence  its  names  "  Tell- 
tale "  and  "  Long-legged  Tattler."  Mr.  Chapman  writes 
of  it  delightfully  as  follows  : 

"  Few  birds  are  flying ;  lulled  by  the  lap,  lap  of  the 
water,  I  have  almost  fallen  asleep,  when  from  far  up 
in  the  gray  sky  comes  a  soft  wheu,  when,  when.  I 
respond  quickly,  and  lying  on  my  back,  look  eagerly 
upward.  Not  a  bird  can  be  seen,  but  the  questioning 
call  grows  stronger,  and  is  repeated  more  frequently. 
Finally  I  distinguish  five  or  six  black  points  sailing  in 
narrow  circles  so  high  that  I  can  scarcely  believe  they 
are  the  birds  I  hear.  But  no  bar  or  shoal  breaks  the 
sound-waves.  The  birds  grow  larger,  and  widening  cir- 
cles sweep  earthward.  Their  soft  whistle  has  a  plaintive 
tone ;  their  long  bills  turn  inquiringly  from  side  to  side. 
The  stolid  decoys  give  no  response,  they  repel  rather 
than  encourage ;  but  the  whistling  continues,  and  with 
murmured  notes  of  interrogation,  the  deluded  birds  wheel 
over  them,  to  find  too  late  that  they  have  blundered." 


BIRDS    FOUND   ALONG  THE   BEACHES      71 

259.    WANDERING   TATTLER.  —  Heteractitis  incana. 
FAMILY  :  The  Snipes  and  Sandpipers. 

Length:  10.50-11.50. 

Adults  in  Summer :   Upper  parts  uniform  slate-color  ;  under  parts  barred 

with  dark  gray  and  white  ;  throat  white,  spotted  with  dusky  ;  lower 

belly  white. 
Adults  in  Winter :  Upper  parts,  sides,  and  breast  gray  ;  middle  of  belly 

and  throat  white. 
Young :   Similar  to  winter  adults,  but  feathers  of  wings  and  back  marked 

with  pure  white. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  of  North  America  from  Alaska 

to  Lower  California,  west  to  Hawaiian  Islands  and  Kamtchatka. 
Breeding  Range:  From  Vancouver  Island  northward  to  valley  of  Yukon 

River. 
"  Nest,  and  Eggs  apparently  not  recorded:   but  young  birds  taken  by 

Macoun  on  west  coast  of  Vancouver  Island  "  (F.  M.  Bailey). 

THE  Wandering  Tattler  is  well  named,  for  it  remains 
in  one  locality  only  during  the  nesting  season,  which  is 
from  May  20  to  July  1  in  Alaska.  Its  food  consists 
of  mollusks  and  crustaceans,  and  for  that  reason  it  is 
seldom  found  at  any  great  distance  from  the  shore. 
Its  note  is  a  clear,  flute-like  whistle,  not  unlike  that 
of  the  greater  yellow-legs,  and  is  translated  by  one  ob- 
server as  "  tu-tu-tu-tu."  Like  its  larger  relative,  it  is 
a  stately  little  bird,  graceful  whether  on  land  or  in  the 
air.  It  is  said  to  give  warning  of  the  approach  of  dan- 
ger by  a  shriller  whistle  than  its  customary  sweet  call, 
and  consequently  is  berated  by  sportsmen. 


72  WATER   BIRDS 

263.    SPOTTED    SANDPIPER.  —  Actitis  macularia. 

(Common  names  :   Teeter  ;  Tip-up  ;  Sandlark.) 

FAMILY  :  The  Snipes  and  Sandpipers. 

Length:  7.00-8.00. 

Adults  in  Summer  :   Upper  parts  gray,  with  an  olive  or  greenish  bronze 

sheen  ;  head  and  neck  faintly  streaked  with  black  ;  back  barred  with 

black ;  under  parts  white,  spotted  with  black  ;  a  white  wing-bar  con- 
spicuous in  flight. 
Adults  in    Winter:    Under  parts    uniform    white,    without    spots   or 

markings.. 
Downy  Young :  Upper  parts  buffy  gray,  with  black  line  from  bill  through 

and  down  back,  crossed  transversely  at  shoulders  by  two  short  black 

lines  in  form  of  Greek  cross  ;  under  parts  white. 
Young :   Similar  to  winter  adults,  but  finely  mottled  or  barred  with  buff 

on  back. 
Geographical  Distribution :   North  America  to  Hudson  Bay  ;  in  winter 

to  South  America. 
Breeding  Range :  Breeds  locally  wherever  found.     In  California  breeds 

on  shores  of  lakes  in  the  Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season :  June. 
Nest :  A  depression  in  the  sand  a  little  way  back  on  a  beach,  usually 

under  a  tuft  of  grass ;  unlined,  or  scantily  lined  with  dry  grass. 
Eggs :  4  ;  light  buff,  thickly  spotted  with  lilac,  light  brown,  and  umber. 

Si/e  1.34  X  0.92. 

FOUND  along  almost  every  beach  and  river  and  lake 
of  California,  this  small  Sandpiper  ia  the  most  abundant 
and  most  commonly  observed  of  all  our  shore  birds.  Its 
dainty,  dipping  motion  while  standing  by  the  shore  has 
given  it  the  nickname  of  "  Teeter,"  and  that  name  alone 
would  help  to  identify  it.  It  is  the  only  one  of  its 
family  that  nests  commonly  in  California,  and  is  a  mem- 
ber well  worth  studying.  It  may  be  found  in  the  same 
locality  day  after  day,  picking  up  its  food  at  the  edge 
of  the  water,  or  venturing  out  on  the  lily  pads  in  search 
of  some  particularly  tempting  morsel.  The  young  leave 


BIRDS   FOUND   ALONG  THE   BEACHES       73 

the  nest  as  soon  as  the  down  is  dry,  but  so  protective  is 
their  coloring  that  they  might  crouch  unnoticed  at  your 
feet.  I  have  found  them  sleeping  huddled  together 
at  night  in  a  hole  made  by  a  cow's  foot  in  the  grassy 
meadow  bordering  a  lake,  and  though  they  were  so 
openly  exposed,  I  should  never  have  discovered  them 
but  for  the  anxiety  of  the  parent  birds.  They  are  about 
the  size  of  a  walnut,  quaint  little  balls  of  down,  perched 
on  toothpick-like  legs,  and  have  the  same  odd  habit 
of  bobbing  as  the  adults.  Instead  of  opening  their 
mouths  to  be  fed,  after  the  manner  of  most  young  birds, 
they  will  pick  up  the  food  found  for  them  by  the  parents, 
and  in  a  day's  time  they  have  learned  to  hunt  it  along 
the  shore.  They  are  independent  youngsters,  wise  in 
tricks  of  hiding  motionless  on  the  sand  or  in  the  grass, 
and  in  keeping  together.  Their  low,  sweet,  peeping 
notes  are  like  those  of  young  chickens,  and  they  seem 
to  care  more  for  each  other  than  for  the  brooding  of  the 
parent  birds.  The  call  note  of  the  adults  is  a  sharp 
"  peet-weet "  uttered  on  the  wing. 

264.  LONG-BILLED  CURLEW,   OR  SICKLE-BILLED 
CURLEW.  —  Numenius  americanus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Snipes  and  Sandpipers. 

Length:  20.00-26.00. 

Adults :  Head,  neck,  and  upper  parts  streaked  and  mottled  grayish  buff 

and  black  ;  under  parts  brownish  buff,  more  or  less  streaked  and  barred 

with  black;  bill  very  long,  slender,  and  curved. 
Downy  Young :  Upper  parts  deep  buff,  mottled  with  black  ;  under  parts 

sulphur-yellow ;  bill  straight. 
Geographical  Distribution  :  Entire  temperate  North  America ;  south  in 

winter  to  West  Indies. 


74  WATER  BIRDS 

Breeding  Range:  North  of  latitude  35°  to  latitude  50°.     In  California 
breeds  in  northwestern  portion  of  the  State,  in  the  Pitt  River  valley. 
Breeding  Season  :  May  and  June. 
Nest. :  A  shallow   depression   in  the  ground ;   lined  with  dry  grasses  ; 

placed  near  water. 
Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  buffy,  spotted  with  purple  and  umber.     Size  2.52  X  1.85. 

THE  Sickle-billed  Curlew  is  a  conspicuous  bird  wher- 
ever it  occurs  on  the  beaches.  In  California  it  is  common 
on  the  coast  and  valleys  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  dur- 
ing the  winter  mouths,  appearing  early  in  October  and 
remaining  until  the  last  of  April  or  the  middle  of  May. 
These  Curlews  fly  in  wedge-shaped  flocks  of  from  fifty 
to  a  hundred,  the  movement  of  migration  being  con- 
tinuous when  started,  and  mostly  by  daylight;  they 
rest  and  feed  late  in  the  afternoon.  A  flock  of  them 
alighting  is  suggestive  of  a  multitude  of  gigantic  butter- 
flies, as  they  touch  the  earth  with  feet  down  and  wings 
raised  over  their  backs. 

Their  long  bills  are  used  to  probe  in  the  earth  for 
their  food,  which  consists  of  worms,  small  snails,  crabs, 
crayfish,  the  larvse  of  beetles,  and  adult  insects  of  all 
kinds.  Their  note  is  a  prolonged  whistle  as  heard  from 
high  in  the  air,  or  a  clear  rich  call  as  you  flush  them 
from  the  ground.  If  disturbed  in  their  breeding  ground, 
they  unite,  as  do  the  jays,  to  drive  the  intruder  away 
with  harsh  cries  and  a  succession  of  shrill  notes  that  one 
observer  calls  laughter.  Failing  in  this,  they  circle  about 
as  near  as  they  dare,  and  occasionally  one,  more  daring 
than  the  rest,  comes  too  near  for  comfort.  The  mother, 
finding  defence  useless,  tries  the  old  feint  of  a  broken 
wing,  while  the  others  watch  her  with  anxious  cries. 


BIRDS   FOUND   ALONG  THE   BEACHES      75 

The  young  bird  has  a  well-developed  but  straight  bill 
more  than  an  inch  long  when  hatched :  he  runs  about  on 
strong  legs  within  an  hour  of  his  emancipation  from  the 
shell. 


265.  HUDSONIAN  CURLEW,  OR  JACK  CURLEW. 

Numenius  hudsonicus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Snipes  and  Sandpipers. 

Length:   16.50-18.00. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  mottled  and  barred  with  pale 
cinnamon-brown    and    blackish ;    line    through    the 
crown  buffy,  bordered  with  two  brown  stripes  ;  under 
parts  buff,  narrowly  streaked  with  blackish. 
Downy  Young:    Buffy  brown   above,   merging  to  lemon- 
yellow  below ;  upper  parts  indistinctly  mottled  with  dusky. 
Geographical  Distribution  :  Nearly  the  whole  of  North  and 
South  America;  south  in  winter. 
Breeding  Range  :  Arctic  regions. 
Breeding  Season:  June  15  to  July  15. 
Nest :  A  slight  hollow,  scantily  lined  with  grasses. 

Eggs :  4  ;  pear-shaped,  grayish  yellow,  coarsely  scrawled 
with  chocolate  and  brown.     Size  2.27  X  1.57. 


265.    HUDSONIAN 
CURLEW. 

"  When  alighting.'11 


of  Alaska. 


THE  Hudsonian  Curlew  occurs 
throughout  North  America,  breed- 
ing at  the  ponds  and  lakes  of  the 
arctic  regions  and  in  all  parts 
In  California  it  is  abundant  as 
a  spring  and  fall  migrant,  and  is  found 
on  the  coast  in  company  with  the  long- 
billed  curlew  and  the  jack-snipe.  Like 
the  others,  it  is  a  conspicuous  bird  on  the  beach  or 
flying  in  triangular  flocks  over  the  edge  of  the  water ; 
like  the  long-billed  curlew,  it  drops  its  feet  and  raises 


76  WATER  BIRDS 

its  wings  in  a  peculiar  butterfly  fashion  when  alighting. 
It  is  not  so  commonly  found  in  the  interior  as  other 
members  of  its  family,  and  probes  in  the  sand  of  the 
beach  for  its  food  rather  than  in  the  salt  meadows  ;  its 
favorite  food  is  small  snails,  water-spiders,  and  crayfish. 

270    BLACK-BELLIED    PLOVER.  —  Squatarola 
squatarola. 

(Common  names :  Beetle-head  ;  Oxeye  ;  Whistling  Field 
Plover;  Bull-head  Plover;  Swiss  Plover.) 

FAMILY  :  The  Plovers. 

Length:  11.00. 

Adults  in  Summer:  Sides  of  head  and  neck  and  under  parts  black  ;  lower 

belly  and  under  tail-coverts  white;  upper  parts  mottled  black  and 

white  ;  tail  white,  barred  with  black. 
Adults  in  Winter :    Upper  parts  brownish  gray,  mottled  with  lighter, 

and  under  parts  white,  streaked  with  gray. 

Young :  Similar  to  winter  adults,  but  spotted  on  upper  parts  with  buff. 
Geographical  Distribution :   Nearly  cosmopolitan. 
Breeding  Range  :  Arctic  regions. 
Breeding  Season :  July. 

Nest :  A  mere  depression  in  the  soil,  lined  with  dry  grass. 
Eggs:  4  ;  light  buffy  olive,  heavily  marked  with  brown  or  black.     Size 

2.04  X  1.43. 

THE  Black-bellied,  or  Beetle-head  Plover  is  a  com- 
mon migrant  on  the  California  coast.  Each  spring 
and  fall  flocks  may  be  seen  flying  in  lines  or  wedge- 
shaped  ranks  after  the  manner  of  geese,  and  their  mellow 
three-noted  whistle  sounds  clearly  above  the  roar  of  the 
surf.  These  birds  run  along  the  beach  at  the  edge  of 
the  water,  snatching  up  the  sea  food  left  by  the  receding 
tide,  and  when  the  turn  sets  in  they  retreat  to  the  higher 
sand  banks  to  be  out  of  the  way  of  a  wetting.  The 


BIRDS   FOUND   ALONG   THE   BEACHES      77 

species  is  nearly  cosmopolitan,  being  found  in  Asia, 
Africa,  Australia,  the  West  Indies,  North  America, 
Central  America,  and  South  America  on  migrations ;  in 
the  breeding  season  it  is  found  in  Russia,  Siberia,  Alaska, 
Franklin  Bay,  and  the  Barren  Lands.  In  each  locality 
it  has  a  different  common  name. 

273.   KILLDEER.  —  Oxyechus  vociferus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Plovers. 

Length:  10.50. 

Adults :   Forehead,  throat,  collar,  and  under  parts  white  ;  front  of  the 

crown,  lores,  ring  around  the  neck,  band  on  the  breast,  black ;  back 

olive-brown  ;  rump  and  sides  of  the  tail  dark  buffy. 
Downy   Young:   Upper  parts  olive-brown  ;    under   parts  white  ;   collar 

and  bands  across  the  chest,  and  across  lores  black,  like  adults. 
Geographical  Distribution :  North  America  ;  south  in  winter  from  latitude 

30°  to  South  America. 
Breeding  Range :  Breeds  locally  wherever  found.     In  California  breeds 

throughout  the  State,  but  in  large  numbers  at  Lake  Tahoe. 
Breeding  Season:  May  and  June. 
Nest :  A  slight  depression  in  the  earth  ;  unlined. 
Eyys :  3  or  4 ;   buffy,  marked   with  dark   brown   and  blackish.     Size 

1.50  X  1.10. 

WHEREVER  seen,  this  pretty  plover  announces  its 
name  in  plaintive  cries  of  "  kildee,  kildee."  Often  in 
the  night,  as  if  troubled  by  bad  dreams,  it  sounds  this 
anxious  cry.  It  is  abundant  everywhere,  and  is  known 
to  every  country  boy.  Its  nest  is  on  the  bare  ground  in 
the  edge  of  an  upland  meadow  ;  but  the  eggs  are  so 
protectively  colored  that  you  might  pass  it  without 
notice,  did  not  the  old  bird  by  her  great  anxiety  pro- 
claim the  hiding  place.  An  hour  later  you  may  find 
every  shell  broken  and  the  little  ones  gone,  for  they  run 
about  in  the  grass  as  soon  as  free.  No  other  bird  will 


78  WATER  BIRDS 

make  more  frantic  efforts  than  the  Killdeer  to  lead  you 
away  in  order  that  the  young  may  escape :  she  feigns 
broken  wings,  falls  over  and  over  on  the  ground,  moan- 
ing as  if  with  pain,  and  begging  you  to  capture  her.  But 
the  whole  performance  is  only  a  feint,  for  when  you 
come  up  to  her,  she  will  fly  away  on  swift,  strong  wings. 
The  favorite  nesting  ground  is  more  or  less  stony,  and 
the  little  Killdeers,  crouching  motionless  to  hide,  so 
resemble  the  stones  as  to  render  discovery  difficult. 
They  are  very  like  the  adults  in  form  and  markings,  the 
characteristic  black  bands  across  the  upper  breast  pro- 
claiming the  kinship  were  other  sign  wanting. 


278.    SNOWY    PLOVER.  —  Mgialitis  nivosa. 
FAMILY  :  The  Plovers. 

Length:  6.00-7.00. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Upper  parts  pale  buff-gray;  forehead,  cheeks,  and 

under  parts  white  ;  bar  across  forehead,  patch  at  back  of  cheeks,  and 

patch  at  the  side  of  chest  black. 
Adults  in  Winter:  Black,  replaced  by  grayish. 
Young:  Like  winter  adults,  but  feathers  of  the  upper  parts  distinctly 

tipped  with  white. 
Downy   Young :    Upper  parts  pale  grayish  buff,  mottled   with   black ; 

white  collar  across  neck  ;  under  parts  white. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Western  United  States  ;  south  in  winter  to 

Chili. 

Breeding  Range :  Breeds  wherever  found  in  the  United  States  ;  through- 
out California  as  far  north  as  Pescadero. 
Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 
Nest :  A  slight  hollow  in  the  sand  ;  unlined. 
Eggs:   3 ;    pale  grayish   buff,   spotted   with   umber  and    black.      Size 

1.20  X  0.90. 

THE  Snowy  Plover  is  resident  all  the  year  round  in 
the  southern  part  of  California  near  the  coast,  and  occurs 


BIRDS   FOUND   ALONG  THE   BEACHES      79 

as  far  north  as  Cape  Mendocino.  It  is  abundant  at 
Long  Beach,  San  Pedro,  and  all  along  the  sandy  coast 
near  Los  Angeles.  These  Plovers  are  pretty,  plump 
little  birds,  and  trip  unconcernedly  at  the  water's  edge, 
picking  up  the  food  left  by  the  retreating  waves.  If 
one  is  disturbed,  it  crouches  flat  on  the  sand,  in  a  hollow 
if  possible,  trusting  to  protective  coloring  to  escape 
notice.  A  nest  found  near  San  Diego  in  April,  con- 
tained, when  discovered,  three  clay-covered  eggs.  When 
it  was  visited  three  hours  later,  two  little  ones  had 
broken  the  shell  and  were  crouched  down  like  small 
gray  stones.  The  third  egg  was  sterile.  The  young 
were  about  the  size  of  large  walnuts  and  were  the 
prettiest  creatures  imaginable.  The  next  morning  the 
nest  was  deserted,  only  the  particles  of  eggshells  scat- 
tered about  told  where  it  had  been;  but  the  mother 
bird  was  discovered  with  both  chicks  hiding  behind  a 
tuft  of  grass.  No  other  nest  was  found  nearer  than 
two  hundred  feet,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  the  one 
found  at  that  distance  was  really  the  nest  of  a  Snowy 
Plover. 

This  species  has  none  of  the  dipping  motions  of  the 
sandpiper,  and  is  much  plumper-looking,  though  not 
less  trim  than  the  sandpipers.  Its  call  is  a  whistled 
"  pleep,  pleep,"  somewhat  between  the  note  of  a  spotted 
sandpiper  and  that  of  a  golden  plover. 


80  WATER   BIRDS 

284.    BLACK  TURNSTONE.  —  Arenaria  mdanocephala. 
FAMILY  :  The  Surf  Birds  and  Turnstones. 

Length  :  9.00. 

Adults  in  Summer:    Forehead,  sides  of. head,  neck,  throat,  and  chest 

black,  more  or  less  spotted  with  white,  a  small  white  patch  in  front 

of  the  eye ;   crown  and  back  iridescent  greenish  black  ;    belly  and 

sides  white. 

Adults  in  Winter :  Similar,  but  without  white  spots  on  head  and  neck. 
Young:  Plumage  like  winter  plumage  of  adults,  but  black  is  replaced  by 

grayish,  and  feathers  of  the  upper  parts  are  tipped  with  white  or  buff. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  of  North  America,  from  Point 

Barrow  to  Lower  California. 

Breeding  Range :  From  British  Columbia  northward. 
Breeding  Season :  June  and  July. 
Nest :  A  slight  depression  in  the  ground,  near  beach. 
Eggs:  4  ;  grayish  green,  thickly  spotted  with  brown.     Size  1.62  X  1.12. 

THE  Black  Turnstone  is  common  along  the  coast  dis- 
trict of  California  throughout  all  the  year.  Mr.  Grinnell 
says  that  although  a  few  individuals  remain  all  summer, 
they  are  not  known  to  breed  within  the  confines  of  the 
State.  They  are  seen  most  frequently  along  the  exposed 
ocean  beaches,  where  their  curious  habit  of  poking  under 
small  stones  for  food  has  given  them  their  name.  They 
may  be  known  by  their  short,  sharp,  tip-tilted  bill,  black 
head,  and  white  rump.  There  are  but  four  species  in 
the  family,  three  of  which  occur  in  the  United  States. 
Of  these  the  Black  Turnstone  is  the  only  one  met  with 
frequently  in  California,  although  the  Ruddy  Turnstone 
occurs  as  a  migrant  throughout  the  coast  district.  All 
the  species  are  strictly  maritime  birds,  living  on  the  outer 
beaches  and  shunning  the  interior. 


BIRDS   FOUND   ALONG   THE   BEACHES      81 


287.    BLACK   OYSTER-CATCHER.  —  Hcematopus 
bachmani. 

FAMILY  :  The  Oyster-catchers. 

Length:  17.00. 

Adults:  Head  and  neck  bluish  black,  rest  of  plumage  rusty  black  ;  bill 

chisel-shaped  and  red  ;  feet  and  legs  red. 
Young:   General  color  more  brownish. 
Dmony  Young :  Head,  neck,  and  upper  parts  sooty  brown  ;  the  down 

tipped  with  rusty  ;  under  parts  black. 
Geographical  Distribution ;    Pacific  coast  of  North  America  from  Lower 

California  to  the  Aleutian  Islands. 
Breeding  Range :  Breeds  nearly  throughout  its  habitat. 
Breeding  Season :  June. 

Nest :  The  bare  ground  of  the  beach  or  the  shale. 
Eggs :    1   to  3  ;   olive,    spotted   with   umber  and   purplish  gray.      Size 

'2.20  X  1.52. 

THE  Oyster-catcher  family  includes  ten  species,  mostly 
found  in  the  tropics ;  but  three  species  are  found  in 
North  America,  and  two  occur  in  California.  While 
found  all  along  the  coast  of  California,  they  are  especially 
partial  to  rocky  portions  and  islands,  and  are  not  usually 
seen  on  the  sand  beaches.  Their  feeding  grounds  are 
the  outer  bars,  beaches,  and  rocks,  where  they  search  for 
clams,  muscles,  and  oysters  exposed  by  the  fall  of  the 
tide.  The  strong  shells  of  these  mollusks  the  birds  pry 
open  with  their  bills.  Oyster-catchers  are  abundant 
along  the  rocky  coast  at  La  Jolla,  but  I  have  never 
found  any  breeding  there.  Mr.  Anthony  found  them 
breeding  on  the  rocky  islands  close  to  the  coast,  the 
eggs  having  been  laid  on  the  bare  rocks,  usually  but 
a  few  feet  above  high  water,  and  close  to  the  edge.  All 
about  them  were  empty  shells  of  limpets  brought  there 

6 


82  WATER   BIRDS 

by  the  mate  of  the  nesting  bird.     In  no  case  was  there 
any  attempt  at  nest-building. 

When  watching  this  bird  stride  over  the  rocks  with  a 
queer  stilted  motion,  one  is  impressed  with  the  idea 
that  its  odd  gait  is  the  effect  of  self-consciousness.  So 
shy  is  it  that  it  keeps  up  a  constant  nervous  turning  of 
its  head  in  search  of  danger,  and  takes  alarm  at  the  least 
unusual  sight  in  the  distance.  The  call  note  is  a  low, 
rather  musical  whistle. 


BIRDS    FOUND    IN   BAYOUS 
AND    MARSHES 

1.    WESTERN   GREBE.  —  Mchmophorus  occidental™. 

FAMILY  :  The  Grebes. 

Length:  27.50. 

Adult  Plumage  :  Top  of  head  and  stripe  down  back  of  neck  black  ;  rest 
of  upper  parts  brownish  gray  ;  lower  parts,  including  sides  of  head 
and  all  of  neck  except  stripe  down  back,  glossy  white  ;  bill  long  and 
yellowish  white,  with  black  stripe  down  upper  mandible  from  base 
to  tip. 

Downy  Young:  Above  uniform  light  brownish  gray;   under  parts  white. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Western  N  orth  America  from  Lower  Cali- 
fornia to  British  Columbia  ;  east  to  Manitoba. 

Breeding  Range:  Breeds  locally  nearly  throughout  its  habitat. 

Breeding  Season:  Approximately,  May  15  to  July  1. 

Nest  :  A  mass  of  floating  vegetation  on  the  surface  of  the  water  in  a  slough 
or  marsh,  and  usually  fastened  to  surrounding  rushes. 

Eggs:  2  to  5  ;  soiled  bluish  green.     Size  2.50  X  1.40. 


s  occidentals  is  the  largest  of  all  the 
North  American  grebes,  but  not  the  most  common.  It  is 
found  in  the  marshy  portions  of  the  inland  lakes  on  the 
Pacific  coast  and  throughout  the  Western  States.  Gre- 


BIRDS   FOUND   IN   BAYOUS   AND   MARSHES    83 

garious,  like  all  the  grebes,  it  nests  in  colonies  sometimes 
numbering  a  hundred.  A  marshy  place  where  there  is 
water  from  two  to  four  feet  deep  is  chosen,  so  that 
safety  from  storm  may  be  secured  for  the  nest  among 
the  strong  rushes,  and  escape  from  pursuit  may  be  found 
for  parent  and  young  by  diving  directly  from  the  nest 
into  the  water.  Knowing  their  helplessness  on  land, 
the  wise  grebes  avoid  all  travel  on  it  for  themselves 
and  their  broods.  The  nest  platform  of  rushes  is  made 
by  pulling  the  reeds  down  one  by  one  until  they  lie 
criss-cross  on  the  surface  of  the  water.  Upon  this 
foundation  is  placed  decaying  vegetation  of  all  sorts, 
picked  out  of  the  water,  —  apparently  the  wetter  the 
better.  The  eggs  when  first  laid  are  a  pale  blue-green, 
but  soon  become  a  dirty  brownish  color  from  contact 
with  the  slime  of  the  nest. 

Naturalists  assert  that  all  grebes  cover  their  eggs 
during  absence  both  for  purposes  of  concealment  and 
to  assist  incubation.  I  believe,  however,  that  this  is 
less  the  practice  of  Western  Grebes  than  of  any  other 
variety,  for  out  of  many  nests  t  visited  only  one  was 
covered,  while  I  have  never  found  the  nest  of  either 
a  pied-billed  grebe  or  an  American  eared  grebe  where 
there  had  not  been  at  least  an  attempt  at  covering. 
The  eggs  of  the  Western  species  also  are  invariably  less 
stained  than  those  of  either  of  the  others,  a  fact  which 
may  support  the  theory  that  they  are  not  so  fully  covered. 

Eggs  of  the  American  eared  grebe  are  often  found  in 
the  nest  of  a  Western  Grebe,  but  never,  to  my  knowl- 
edge, vice  versa.  I  believe  this  is  to  be  accounted  for 


84  WATER  BIRDS 

by  the  more  exposed  position  and  looser  construction  of 
the  nests  of  the  American  eared  grebe,  which  results  in 
their  destruction  by  storm.  When  this  occurs,  the  home- 
less bird  nearly  always  invades  another  nest,  and  usually 
the  better  made  one  of  his  larger  neighbor.  Frequently, 
this  results  in  a  battle  to  the  death  for  the  possession  of 
the  nest,  but  never,  so  far  as  I  have  observed,  in  a  vic- 
tory for  the  smaller  bird. 


4.   AMERICAN   EARED   GREBE.  —  Colymbus  nigricollis 
californicus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Grebes. 

Length:  13.00. 

Adults  in  Nuptial  Plumage :  Head,  neck,  and  chest  black  ;   sides  of 

head    behind    eyes   with   tuft-like    patches   of    small    buffy    brown 

feathers ;   under  parts   silky   white,   washed   with   dusky  on  sides ; 

inner  quills  dusky  ;  eyes  scarlet ;  eyelids  orange. 
Downy  Young:  Top  of  head  dusky,  with  white  markings;  upper  parts 

light  brownish  gray  ;  under  parts  white. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Western  North  America  from  Guatemala  to 

Great  Slave  Lake.     East  to  Mississippi  valley. 
Breeding  Range :  Locally  throughout  above  territory. 
Breeding  Season  :  Approximately,  May  15  to  August  1. 
Nest :  A  mass  of  floating  vegetation  more  or  less  matted  together  and 

woven  to  surrounding  rushes ;  in  more  open  situations  than  that  of 

the  western  grebe. 
Eggs :  3  to  7  ;  elliptical  in  shape  ;  bluish  white,  more  or  less  soiled  by 

dampness  of  nest.     Size  1.75  X  1.19. 

THIS  little  Grebe  breeds  commonly  in  the  inland 
lakes,  grassy  ponds,  and  sloughs  of  California,  Wash- 
ington, Oregon,  and  Lower  Canada.  Dr.  Jeffries  tells 
me  that  it  also  breeds  somewhat  sparingly  in  the  slough 
across,  the  isthmus  at  Santa  Catalina  Islands,  and  I 
found  several  individuals  there,  in  nuptial  plumage,  in 


BIRDS   FOUND   IN   BAYOUS   AND   MARSHES    85 


May.  This  species  follows  the  habits  of  all  grebes  in 
covering  the  nest  with  wet  vegetation  and  debris  during 
its  absence,  leaving  the  sun  to  continue  the  work  of  in- 
cubation. Like  other  grebes  also,  it  secures  its  food  by 
diving,  and  then  pursuing  its  prey  under  the  water. 

Th.%  Grebe   babies  are  fat,  roly-poly  youngsters,  who 
tumble  into  the  water  almost  from   the  egg-shell,  div- 
ing and  swimming  like  experts  when 
a  day  old.     They  seem  to  pick  up 
their  own  food  from  the  water, 

1  x  but  the  parents  also  assist  with 

larvae  of  water-bugs  and  tiny  min- 
nows.    The  young  Grebe 


4.   AMERICAN  EARED  GREBE. 
"  When  tired,  they  are  given  a  ride  on  the  mother's  back." 

is  seldom  fed  by  having  the  food  placed  in  its  bill,  but 
by  a  curious  wisdom  he  is  taught  to  help  himself. 
Sometimes  the  bug  is  tossed  into  the  group,  and  the 
smartest  youngster  gets  the  prize.  Oftener  it  is  laid  on 
the  water  for  a  little  one  to  pick  up.  The  whole  process 
is  very  like  the  way  a  hen  places  food  in  front  of  her 
chicks. 

The  mother's  watchful  eye  detects  the  first  sign  of 
weariness  in  the  tiny  swimmers,  and  gently  diving  be- 
neath them  she  gathers  them  on  her  back. 


86  WATER   BIRDS 

These  habits  in  the  care  of  the  young  characterize  all 
species  of  grebes,  for  in  no  birds  are  the  family  traits 
more  prominent  than  among  these  queer  divers.  To  the 
shame  of  all  plumage-hunters  be  it  said,  the  love  of  the 
grebes  for  their  young  is  one  cause  of  the  rapid  diminu- 
tion of  their  number,  for  so  expert  are  the  grebes  in  div- 
ing at  the  flash  of  the  gun  that,  but  for  the  mother  love 
which  impels  them  to  protect  their  helpless  little  ones, 
they  could  easily  escape.  But  they  are  mercilessly  shot 
while  defending  their  nests,  and  the  young  are  left  to 
starve,  while  the  silvery  breast  of  the  mother  bird  adorns 
the  hat  of  a  thoughtless  woman. 


6.    PIED-BILLED    GREBE.  —  Podilymbus  podiceps. 

(Common  names  :  Hell  Diver  ;  Water  Witch  ;  Dabchick.) 
FAMILY  :  The  Grebes. 

Length:  13.50. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Upper  parts  glossy  blackish  brown  ;  sides  of  head 

and  entire  neck  soft  gray-brown  ;    throat  black  ;    upper  breast  and 

sides  of  belly  light  gray-brown,  indistinctly  mottled  with  dusky  ; 

belly  and  lower  breast  glossy  white  ;   bill  light,  crossed  by  black 

band. 
Winter  Plumage:   Throat   changed   from   black    to  dull   white;   head 

browner ;    lower   parts   whiter,    with    no   dusky   spots ;    white    bill 

replaced  by  brown  without  black  band. 

Young:  Similar  to  winter  adults,  but  sides  of  head  striped  with  brown. 
Downy  Young:  Head  aud  neck  black  and  white  with  rufous  spot  on 

crown  ;  upper  parts  blackish,  with  stripes  of  white. 
Geographical  Distribution :  The  whole  of  North  America  from  Mexico  to 

Hudson  Bay. 

Breeding  Range:  Breeds  locally  throughout  its  habitat. 
Breeding  Season:  Approximately,  May  15  to  July  1. 
Nest :  A  more  or  less  solid  structure  of  mud,  marsh  grass,  and  wet  weeds  ; 

fastened  to  growing  plants.     Sometimes  built  entirely  up  from  the 

bottom  of  the  slough,  and  sometimes  laid  on  the  rushes  pulled  over 


BIRDS   FOUND   IN   BAYOUS   AND   MARSHES    87 

to  support  it.     It  is  fastened  securely,  and  usually  rises  several  inches 
above  the  surface  of  the  water. 
Eggs:  5  to  10  ;  soiled  greenish  white.     Size  1.70  X  1.18. 

THIS,  the  most  abundant  of  the  grebes,  is  the  one 
usually  shot  for  its  plumage.  It  breeds  commonly  in 
Los  Angeles  County,  California,  and  about  San  Fran- 
cisco Bay.  Its  common  names  express  well  its  mar- 
vellous powers  of  diving  and  remaining  for  a  long  time 
under  water,  where  it  swims  easily  and  rapidly  with  just 
the  tip  of  its  bill  exposed.  On  land  it  is,  like  all  grebes, 
awkward  and  helpless,  and,  as  one  author  says,  looks 
more  like  a  tiny  kangaroo  than  a  bird.  Possibly  on 
account  of  its  helplessness  when  on  the  nest,  it  has 
formed  the  habit  of  covering  the  eggs  with  decaying 
vegetation  during  the  daytime  and  leaving  them  to  be 
cherished  by  the  artificial  heat,  and  of  returning  to  brood 
them  during  the  night.  Certainly  these  little  Grebes  are 
never  found  on  their  nests  during  sunny  days,  and  in 
California  June  days  are  always  sunny.  In  Oregon,  on 
dark  cold  days,  they  are  close  sitters,  and  it  is  an  odd 
sight  to  see  them  jump  into  the  water  at  any  distance 
and  disappear  with  scarcely  a  ripple.  They  breed 
abundantly  throughout  California  in  the  more  sheltered 
ponds  and  inland  lakes,  requiring  only  that  there  shall 
be  tule,  rushes,  or  flags  to  form  a  platform  for  the  slimy 
structure  called  a  nest.  The  young  Grebes  attempt  to 
dive  as  soon  as  hatched,  but  rarely  succeed  in  submerg- 
ing their  entire  bodies  at  the  first  trial ;  and  their  plumage, 
like  that  of  the  adults,  seems  to  be  waterproof,  for  never 
a  wet  feather  do  they  show  on  emerging.  The  Pied- 
billed  Grebe  is  a  much  shyer  bird  than  either  the  West- 


88  WATER  BIRDS 

era  or  the  eared  grebe,  and  is  less  noisy,  its  call  being 
only  a  plaintive  note  quite  in  contrast  to  the  hoarse  croak- 
ing cries  of  the  larger  species.  It  is  also  less  gregarious  ; 
a  pair  may  sometimes  be  found  nesting  in  a  marsh  unfre- 
quented by  any  other  of  their  species. 


187.  WHITE-FACED  GLOSSY  IBIS.— Plegadis  guarauna. 
FAMILY  :  The  Ibises. 

Length:  22.50. 

Adults:  Head,  neck,  and  lower  parts  reddish  brown;  feathers  around 
base  of  bill  white  ;  lores  pink  ;  upper  parts  iridescent  green  and 
purple. 

Young :  Upper  parts  as  in  adults,  except  head  and  neck  streaked  with 
white  and  dark  ashy  gray ;  under  parts  plain  gray-brown. 

Downy  Young:  Entirely  black. 

Geographical  Distribution :   Tropical  America,  south  to  Argentine  Re- 

-     public  and  Chili ;  north  from  Texas  and  Lower  California  to  Oregon. 

Breeding  Range:  Texas  and  the  Gulf  States,  and,  to  a  limited  degree,  in 
the  Ballona  marshes,  as  well  as  various  San  Diegan  points. 

Breeding  Season :  April,  May,  and  June. 

Nest, :  Of  reeds  woven  in  among  the  rushes  ;  shaped  similar  to  the  red- 
winged  blackbird's  nest,  but  much  larger. 

Eggs:  3  to  5  ;  deep  bluish  green.     Size  1.95  X  1.35. 

IN  the  wet  meadows  and  marshes  of  California  there 
are  frequently  seen  queer  black  birds  which  might  be 
taken  for  large  crows  but  for  their  long  legs  and  long, 
curved,  curlew-like  bills.  They  wade  about  probing  in 
the  mud  for  crayfish  or  snails,  or  stand  motionless  on 
one  leg  in  heronesque  attitudes,  watching  for  minnows 
in  the  shallow  water.  In  habits  they  seem  to  resemble 
the  bitterns,  nesting  in  the  rushes  and  feeding  upon 
frogs,  fresh-water  crustaceans,  or  small  snakes,  trusting 
to  protective  coloring  for  safety  except  when  forced  to 


BIRDS    FOUND   IN    BAYOUS  AND    MARSHES    89 


take  flight.     At  dusk  and  at  dawn,  large  companies  of 
them  may  sometimes  be  seen  circling  slowly  over  a  marsh 


as  if  to  find  a  suitable 
ing  in  long  lines  as 
after    the   nesting 
become  more  sol- 
less  frequently 
wing. 


feeding  ground,  or  fly- 
do   the   pelicans.     But 
season    is   ended,   they 
itary  and  are 
seen  on  the 
Look  for 
them 


]87.   WHITE-FACED  GLOSSY  IBIS. 

"  Watching  for  minnows  in  the  shallow 
water." 

of  water  birds.     At  night,  '  *"^ 
roost   in   trees   in   certain 
localities,  returning  to  the    ^ 
tree    year    after    year, 
is   not  often    heard ;    it  has   a  ~ 
tural  quality  not  unlike  that  of  a 


at  that 

time  in  the  tall 
tule  marshes. 
They  are  there, 
though  you 
may  not 
find 
them,  for 
they  are  the 
shyest 
they 

7   chosen 
^  s  a  m  e 
Their    cry 
peculiar  gut- 
bittern. 


90  WATER   BIRDS 


190.    AMERICAN    BITTERN.  —  Botaurus  lentiginosus. 

(Common  names :  Marsh  Hen  ;  Stake-driver ;  Thunder 
Pump.) 

FAMILY  :  The  Herons,  Egrets,  and  Bitterns. 

Length:  29.00. 

Adults:  Crown  and  nape  slate-color,  more  or  less  tinged  with  light  brown  ; 
a  black  stripe  on  either  side  of  the  neck  ;  back  irregularly  mottled 
chestnut,  blackish,  and  light  brown ;  quills  and  coverts  gray,  tipped 
with  chestnut ;  under  parts  light  brown  to  pale  buffy-white  on  throat, 
striped  with  darker. 

Young :  Similar  to  adults. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Temperate  North  America,  south  to  Gua- 
temala. 

Breeding  Range :  From  the  Middle  States  northward.  In  California  in 
limited  numbers. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest:  A  loose  mat  of  marsh  vegetation  or  grasses;  on  the  ground  in 
swampy  places. 

Eggs:  3  to  5  ;  light  olive.     Size  1.90  X  1.50. 

THIS  much-scorned  bird,  for  whom  neither  sportsman 
nor  ornithologist  has  much  regard,  is  common  in  nearly 
every  marsh  and  slough  throughout  the  United  States  at 
some  season  of  the  year.  It  is  called  "  Fly  up  the  creek," 
"  Stake-driver,"  "  Bog-bull,"  and  other  names  too  un- 
pleasant to  mention.  Most  of  them  bear  some  reference 
to  its  peculiar  love  song,  called  commonly  "  pumping." 
The  sound  is  somewhat  like  the  noise  of  a  distant  pile- 
driver,  and  is  at  once  recognized  as  soon  as  heard.  The 
birds  may  be  both  heard  and  seen  in  the  marshes  at 
Alviso  and  in  Los  Angeles  County,  California.  Only  two 
things  are  required  by  the  observer,  —  patience  and 
leisure.  Twilight  and  dawn  are  the  hours  at  which  they 


BIRDS   FOUND   IN   BAYOUS  AND   MARSHES    91 

may  be  most  frequently  heard.  They  are  solitary  birds, 
each  pair  nesting  alone.  Their  food  consists  largely  of 
frogs  and  small  fish,  which  they  obtain  by  still  fishing, 
standing  motionless  for  almost  any  length  of  time  iti 
shallow  water  among  rushes. 

The  newly  hatched  Bitterns  are  particularly  homely 
nestlings,  with  their  disproportionately  long  necks  and 
bills.  They  are  fed  by  regurgitation  for  at  least  forty- 
eight  hours  after  hatching.  The  Bittern's  attempts  at 
love-making  and  brooding  are  rendered  pitifully  grotesque 
by  the  ungainly  body  of  the  bird  and  his  queer  contor- 
tions. Even  in  flight  he  is  slovenly  and  loose-jointed,  as 
if  his  legs  were  likely  to  be  shaken  off  from  the  efforts 
his  wings  are  making.  In  fishing  he  sits  motionless 
for  hours  with  head  drawn  back  to  the  shoulders,  the 
very  picture  of  discomfort.  Tu  fact,  under  no  circum- 
stances does  he  seem  joyous  or  even  moderately  happy. 


191.  LEAST   BITTERN.  —  Ixobrychus  exilis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Herons,  Egrets,  and  Bitterns. 

Length:  13.00. 

Adult  Male:  Top  of  head,  back,  rump,  and  tail  glossy  black  ;  sides  of 
head  and  neck  light  buff,  deepening  to  chestnut  on  nape  ;  throat  and 
fore-neck  white,  striped  with  pale  straw-color.  Under  parts  pale  buff  ; 
a  dark  patch  on  either  side  of  the  breast. 

Adult  Female :  Similar,  with  brown  in  place  of  black  on  upper  parts. 

Young :  Similar  to  adult  female,  but  coloring  more  buffy  on  upper  parts. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Temperate  North  America,  north  to  the 
British  provinces,  south  to  the  West  Indies  and  Brazil  ;  less  common 
west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  On  the  Pacific  coast  north  to  Oregon. 

Breeding  Range  :  Breeds  locally  wherever  found. 

Breeding  Season :  May  to  August. 


92  WATER  BIRDS 

Nest :  A  platform  of  marsh  grass  or  rushes  ;  placed  on  a  floating  bog  or 

slough. 
Eggs:  3  to  5  ;  light  olive.     Size  1.23  X  0.93. 

THE  Least  Bittern,  or  Little  Green  Heron,  as  it  is 
sometimes  called,  is  a  smaller  and  much  shyer  bird  than 
the  American  bittern.  It  is  found  nesting  in  small 
c;>lonk'S  in  the  edge  of  swamps ;  its  nest  is  a  mere 
crushed-down  platform  of  rushes,  and  itself  so  exact  an 
imitation  of  its  surroundings  as  to  be  practically  invisible 
to  t!«e  naked  eye.  On  the  approach  of  danger  it  becomes 
rigid,  with  head  and  bill  extended  straight  up,  in  mim- 
icry of  a  reed,  thus  rendering  its  discovery  much  more 
difficult.  If  discovered  and  flushed  from  the  water-side, 
it  straddles  off  through  the  weeds  by  grasping  them  on 
either  side  with  its  feet,  producing  a  comical  effect  of 
walking  on  stilts.  It  looks  back  often  to  see  whether 
it  is  being  pursued.  If  approached  from  the  land  side, 
it  takes  wing  with  loud  squawks  of  terror,  and  flies  low 
but  swiftly  through  the  open  channels  of  the  marsh  to  a 
tree  if  there  be  one  near.  It  is  frequently  found  roosting 
in  trees  in  the  early  morning  or  evening,  in  groups  of 
six  or  more,  after  the  breeding  season  is  over.  During 
the  breeding  season  its  call  is  a  soft  dove-like  note; 
repeated  over  and  over  in  a  sort  of  undertone,  as  if  it 
were  intended  for  the  ear  of  its  mate  alone. 


BIRDS   FOUND   IN   BAYOUS   AND   MARSHES    93 

94  (part).  TREGANZA   BLUE   HERON,   OR   BLUE 
CRANE.  —  Ardea  kerodias  treganzai. 

FAMILY  :  The  Herons,  Egrets,  and  Bitterns. 

Length:  45.50. 

Adults:  Crowii  and  throat  white  ;  sides  and  back  of  head  white ;  feath- 
ers lengthened  to  form  a  crest ;  upper  parts  liluish  gray  ;  under  parts 
broadly  striped  black  and  white  ;  legs  and  feet  black. 

Young:  Top  of  head  sooty  slate  ;  throat  white  ;  neck  ashy,  washed  with 
light  brown  ;  under  parts  streaked  buff,  slate,  and  white,  with  some 
black. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  United  States,  south  to  western 
Mexico. 

Breeding  Range  ;  Breeds  locally  in  colonies  wherever  found. 

Breeding  Season  :  April  and  May.  * 

Nest, :  A  platform  of  coarse  sticks  ;  placed  high  up  in  the  tree  ;  always  in 
colonies. 

'Eggs:  3  to  4 ;  pale  bluish  gray.     Size  2.50  X  1.50. 

THE  Great  Blue  Heron  is  a  common  species  through- 
out California,  and  nests  in  almost  every  locality  where 
it  is  found.  At  Muir  Station,  California,  there  is  a  large 
heronry  in  sycamore  trees  on  the  property  of  Mr.  John 
Muir,  and  the  noise  of  the  young  birds  at  feeding  time 
can  be  heard  half  a  mile  away.  The  birds  return  to 
their  heronry  in  February,  and  the  young  are  hatched 
in  April,  though  fresh  eggs  have  been  found  as  late  as 
June  1.  The  young  are  fed  by  regurgitation,  which  in  this 
case  is  a  more  than  usually  ludicrous  performance.  So 
violent  is  the  shaking  which  each  young  heron  undergoes 
in  the  process  of  receiving  his  food  that  he  seems  in 
imminent  danger  of  being  jerked  out  of  the  nest  and 
hurled  to  the  ground  fifty  feet  below. 

These  herons  fly  miles  to  obtain  fish  for  food,  and  one 
or  the  other  parent  is  en  route  during  all  the  daylight 


94  WATER  BIRDS 

hours.  After  having  been  fed,  the  young  heron  draws  back 
his  head  until  it  lies  upon  his  shoulders,  and  sits  there  a 
sleepy,  solemn-looking  hunchback  until  next  feeding-time. 


196.  AMERICAN    EGRET.  —  Casmerodius  egretta. 
FAMILY  :  The  Herons,  Egrets,  and  Bitterns. 

Length:  39.00. 

Adults  in  Nuptial  Plumage:  Snowy  white;  the  interscapular  plumes 
straight,  filamentous,  very  long,  reaching  below  the  end  of  the  tail  ; 
head  without  crest ;  bill  yellow  ;  lores  orange. 

Young,  and  Adults  after  Breeding  Season  :  Same,  but  lacking  the  inter- 
scapular  plunjage. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Temperate  and  tropical  America,  on  the 
Pacific  coast  from  Oregon  to  Patagonia. 

Breeding  Range :  As  far  north  as  Oregon  on  the  Pacific  coast. 

Breeding  Season :  April,  May,  and  June. 

Nest :  A  loose  platform  of  coarse  twigs  ;  in  colonies  in  trees  near  water. 

Eggs:  2  to  4  ;  light  bluish.     Size  2.35  X  1.65. 

THE  story  of  the  American  Egret  is  one  more  tragedy 
in  the  annals  of  ornithology,  and  is  "  a  startling  evidence 
of  man's  power  in  the  animal  world.  At  his  word  a 
species  is  almost  immediately  wiped  out  of  existence." 
These  beautiful  birds  are  exterminated  in  Florida,  and 
the  devastation  has  begun  on  the  Western  coast ;  already 
they  are  listed  as  "  rare  "  where  they  once  bred  in  abun- 
dance. The  "  nuptial  plumage  "  only  is  salable,  since 
it  alone  contains  the  pretty  "  aigrette  "  plumes  ;  and  so, 
at  a  time  when  the  true  sportsman  is  bound  by  an 
unwritten  law  to  protect  the  nesting  birds,  the  plume- 
hunter  shoots  them  mercilessly  for  commercial  purposes. 


BIRDS   FOUND   IN   BAYOUS    AND    MARSHES     95 

197.  SNOWY    HERON. — Egretta  candidissima. 
FAMILY  ;  The  Herons,  Egrets,  and  Bitterns. 

Length:  23.50. 

Adults :  Plumage  always  pure  white. 

Nuptial  Plumage:  Pure  white;  " aigrette "  plumes  hang  like  a  wh'ce 
fringe  from  interscapular  region  to  beyond  the  end  of  the  tail ;  simi- 
lar plumes  on  lower  neck  and  forming  an  occipital  crest  ;  bill  black, 
yellow  at  base  ;  legs  black  ;  feet  yellow. 

Young :  Like  adults  after  breeding  season  ;  that  is,  white,  with  no  inter- 
scapular  plumes. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Temperate  and  tropical  America  ;  on  the 
Pacific  coast  from  Oregon  to  Buenos  Ayres. 

Breeding  Range  :  As  far  north  as  Oregon. 

Breeding  Season:  April  15  to  June  15. 

Nest :  A  loosely  built  platform  of  sticks  ;  placed  in  trees  or  bushes  near 
swamps. 

Eggs:  2  to  5  ;  light  bluish.     Size  1.80  X  1.20. 

BEAUTY  has  proved  a  fatal  dower  to  this  exquisite 
bird,  which  has  become  nearly  extinct  through  the  ravages 
of  the  plume-hunters.  "  The  delicate  aigrettes  which  it 
donned  as  a  nuptial  dress  were  its  death  warrant. 
Woman  demanded  from  the  bird  its  wedding  plumes, 
and  man  has  supplied  the  demand."  The  saddest  part 
of  the  whole  sad  story  is  the  fact,  not  sentiment,  that 
the  killing  must  be  done  during  the  nesting  season  ; 
consequently  the  young,  bereft  of  both  parents,  starve  in 
the  nest.  For  every  dainty  aigrette  in  hair  or  bonnet, 
a  brood  of  baby  herons  has  suffered  excruciating,  long- 
continued  torture,  and  death.  In  California  this  heron 
is  a  summer  visitant  to  the  interior  valleys,  but  is  by  no 
means  common  at  any  season  of  the  year. 


96  WATER   BIRDS 

201  b.  ANTHONY  GREEN   HERON.  —  Butorides  lirescens 
anthonyi. 

FAMILY  :  The  Herons,  Egrets,  and  Bitterns. 

Length :  15.00-22.00. 

Adults:  Crown,  crest,  tail,  and  wings  green  ;  sides  of  neck  yellow- 
brown  ;  belly  light  grayish  brown. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Southwestern  United  States  ;  south  .  in 
winter. 

Breeding  Range  :  Breeds  locally  wherever  found,  along  the  rivers  of  the 
interior. 

Breeding  Season :  April. 

Nest :  On  branches  of  trees  and  bushes  ;  a  loose  platform  of  sticks ;  lined 
with  leaves. 

Eggs :  3  to  5  ;  light  greenish  buff  or  olive. 

THIS  is  a  subspecies  of  the  Green  Heron,  and  is  found 
resident  only  in  the  southern  part  of  California.  Mr. 
Grinnell  lists  it  as  a  common  migrant,  and  says  it  breeds 
along  the  larger  streams  of  the  interior  valleys.  It  is 
largely  nocturnal  in  habit,  and  not  unlike  the  American 
bittern  in  its  guttural  alarm  note. 

This  species  is  found  less  often  in  the  marshes,  and 
more  often  along  the  banks  of  shallow  streams  and  small 
lakes,  where  it  sits  for  hours  motionless  in  a  dead  tree 
or  concealed  stump,  seeming  to  doze  through  the  day- 
light hours.  Early  in  the  morning  or  late  in  the  evening, 
however,  the  heronry  awakes  to  great  activity ;  for  the 
hungry  young  clamor  harshly  for  food,  and  the  adults 
hurry  to  and  fro  in  pursuit  of  it.  This  noise  continues 
far  into  the  night  and  begins  anew  with  daylight.  Frogs, 
small  snakes,  fish,  and  lizards  are  the  prey  this  Heron 
seeks,  but  it  occasionally  contents  itself  with  insects  and 
field  mice. 


BIRDS  FOUND    IN    BAYOUS   AND   MARSHES     97 

202.    BLACK-CROWNED  NIGHT  HERON.  —Nycticorax 
nycticorax  ncevius. 

FAMILY  :  The  Herons,  Egrets,  and  Bitterns. 

Length:  24.50. 

Adults:  Crown,  scapulars,  and  back  iridescent  black,  with  greenish 
reflections  ;  forehead,  sides  of  head,  throat,  and  under  parts  cream 
white  ;  sides  ashy  ;  sides  and  back  of  neck  light  brownish  gray  ; 
wings,  rump,  and  tail  dusky  brownish  gray  ;  head  ornamented  with 
a  few  very  long,  narrow,  white  occipital  feathers. 

Young:  Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  each  feather  marked  with  a  wedge- 
shaped  streak  of  white  ;  the  quills  with  white  at  tips  ;  tail  brownish 
gray  ;  under  parts  striped  dark  ash-brown  and  white. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Nearly  all  America,  except  the  arctic  regions. 

Breeding  Range :  From  Manitoba  to  South  America. 

Breeding  Season  :  April  and  May. 

Nest :  A  platform  of  sticks,  bulky  ;  placed  in  high  trees  ;  in  colonies  of 
2  to  5  in  a  single  tree,  and  thousands  in  the  close  vicinity. 

Eggs:  4  to  6  ;  pale  greenish.     Size  2.15  X  1.55. 

THE  Black-crowned  Night  Heron  is  an  abundant  resi- 
dent in  all  parts  of  California,  breeding  in  suitable  locali- 
ties. Although  these  herons  prefer  a  nest  in  a  tree,  they 
frequently  build  in  tule  swamps,  following  the  habits  of 
the  bitterns.  They  are  gregarious  at  all  times,  nesting  in 
large  colonies.  Except  when  there  are  young  in  the 
nest,  these  birds  are  nocturnal  feeders,  beginning  at 
dusk.  Their  food  consists  largely  of  frogs.  During 
i:icnbation,  one  bird  remains  on  the  nest  constantly,  and 
is  fed  -by  the  other,  who  also  shares  in  the  sitting.  As 
soon  as  the  young  are  hatched  the  fact  is  made  known 
by  the  constant  foraging  for  food  during  the  day  and 
carrying  it  to  the  nest.  It  is,  however,  partly  digested 
and  fed  to  them  by  regurgitation  until  they  are  a  week 
or  ten  days  old.  I  have  never  seen  anything  but  frogs, 

7 


98  WATER  BIRDS 

minnows,  and  small  snakes  brought  to  the  nest,  and 
these  are  carefully  killed  before  being  given  to  the  young. 
The  cry  of  the  Black-crowned  Night  Heron  is  a  harsh 
guttural  squawk  or  croak,  and  the  noise  made  when  the 
rookery  is  full  of  young  birds  screaming  for  food  is  inde- 
scribable. Each  brood  discern  their  own  parent  flying 
toward  the  nest,  and,  although  the  nestlings  have  sat  in 
unbroken  silence  until  then,  at  sight  of  him  the  hungry 
cries  begin. 


206.    SANDHILL   CRANE.  —  Grus  mexicana. 
FAMILY  :  The  Cranes. 

Length:  44.00. 

Adults:  Bluish  gray,  varying  to  brownish  gray;   paler  on  throat  and 

sides  of  head,  darker  on  primaries ;  crown  nearly  bare,  covered  with 

reddish  membrane  and  a  scant  growth  of  black  hairs. 
Young :  Crown  feathered  ;  plumage  rusty  brown. 
Geographical  Distribution:   United  States  from  the   Mississippi  valley 

west  to  Pacific  coast,  south  to  Mexico,  east  along  the  Gulf  coast  to 

Florida. 

Breeding  Range  :  In  mild  localities  throughout  its  habitat. 
Breeding  Season:  February,  March,  and  April. 
Nest :  A  platform  of  weeds  and  grass,  on  the  water  line,  in  a  marshy 

lagoon. 

Eggs :   2 ;    grayish    yellow,    spotted    with   cinnamon   and    gray.     Size 
'  3.98  X  2.44. 

THE  habits  of  the  Sandhill  Crane  and  those  of  the 
whooping  crane  are  very  similar.  "  During  courtship 
and  the  early  breeding  season  their  actions  and  antics  at 
times  are  ludicrous  in  the  extreme,  bowing  and  leaping 
high  in  the  air,  hopping,  skipping,  and  circling  about, 
with  drooping  wings  and  croaking  whoop,  —  an  almost 
indescribable  dance  and  din,  in  which  the  females  join, 


BIRDS   FOUND   IN  BAYOUS  AND   MARSHES       99 

all  working  themselves  up  into  a  fever  of  excitement 
equalled  only  by  an  Indian  war  dance ;  and,  like  the 
same,  it  stops  only  when  the  last  one  is  exhausted." 1 

The  alarm  call  of  this  species  is  a  long  clear  note  like 
a  bugle  blast ;  it  may  be  heard  nearly  a  mile  away.  It 
is  repeated  over  and  over,  as  the  birds  fly  in  flocks,  like 
the  honk  of  wild  geese. 


210.    CALIFORNIA   CLAPPER   RAIL.  —  Rallus  obsoletus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Rails,  Gallinules,  and  Coots. 

Length:  17.50. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  greenish  gray,  indistinctly  but  broadly  streaked 
with  blackish  brown  ;  under  parts  red-brown,  washed  with  .gray  on 
neck  and  sides. 

Downy  Young:  Uniform  black. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Salt-water  marshes  of  the  Pacific  coast  from 
Lower  California  to  Oregon. 

Breeding  Range :  In  sloughs  and  salt-water  marshes,  throughout  Cali- 
fornia and  Oregon. 

Breeding  Season :  April,  May,  and  June. 

Nest:  A  loose  mat  of  dry  grass  ;  placed  among  rushes  in  marsh. 

Eggs:  8  ;  buff,  marked  with  cinnamon  and  lilac.     Size  1.71  X  1-24. 

THIS  species  is  abundant  on  the  salt-water  marshes  in 
the  vicinity  of  San  Francisco  and  Oakland,  and  partic- 
ularly in  the  south  end  of  the  bay  near  Alviso.  They  are 
either  tame  or  exceedingly  stupid  birds  —  I  believe  the 
latter,  for  they  may  be  captured  alive  during  the  early 
spring  and  late  fall,  as  they  trust  to  protective  coloring 
and  do  not  try  to  escape  until  too  late.  During  the 
breeding  season  they  are  somewhat  more  shy,  but  even 
then  it  is  nearly  impossible  to  flush  them  because  they 

i  Goss. 


100  WATER   BIRDS 

skulk  or  dive  rather  than  fly,  and  refuse  to  desert  the 
nest.  About  the  middle  of  April  they  commence  to 
make  a  nest  of  marsh  grass  on  a  tussock,  and  from  that 
time  on  are  devoted  to  it.  Eight  or  nine  eggs  are  laid, 
and  incubation  lasts  nineteen  to  twenty-three  days.  The 
young  Rails  run  about  within  an  hour  after  hatching,  and 
look  much  like  tiny  black  chickens  with  overgrown  legs 
and  bills.  If  discovered  on  a  mud  flat,  they  crouch 
motionless  like  so  many  small  black  lumps  of  dirt  or 
stones,  and  though  one  may  know  where  to  search,  it  is 
hard  to  find  them.  The  immature  rails  are  as  stupid 
as  the  adults,  and  will  often  allow  themselves  to  be 
picked  up  without  trying  to  get  away.  Their  food  con- 
sists largely  of  the  larvae  of  marsh  insects  which  they 
pick  up  in  the  shallow  water  and  along  shore,  and 
mature  insects  of  all  sorts,  as  well  as  small  crustaceans. 
As  is  well  known,  certain  varieties  of  marsh  birds  build 
several  nests,  using  but  one.  The  "  dummy  "  sometimes 
serves  as  a  shelter  for  the  adult  male ;  sometimes  the 
making  of  it  seems  to  have  been  a  mere  pastime ;  and, 
occasionally,  as  in  the  case  of  the  clapper  rail,  it  forms  a 
convenient  platform  or  nursery  on  which  the  young  can 
scramble  for  a  sun-bath  when  weary  with  their  first 
swimming  lessons.  These  unused  nests  are  commonly 
placed  close  to  the  one  occupied  by  the  brood  and  closely 
resemble  it.  My  own  observations  in  this  matter,  made 
at  Alviso,  tally  with  those  of  Mr.  Adams  at  San  Fran- 
cisco Bay  and  Mr.  Shields  at  Los  Angeles. 


BIRDS   FOUND  IN  BAYOUS  AND   MARSHES     101 

212.    VIRGINIA    RAIL.  —  Rallus  virginianus. 
FAMILY:  The  Rails,  Gallinules,  and  Coots. 

Length:  9.30. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  brownish  olive,  striped  with  sooty  ;  breast 
and  wing-coverts  light  chestnut  ;  wings  and  tail  dark  olive- 
brown  ;  cheeks  gray  ;  throat  white  ;  under  parts  light  chest- 
nut ;  sides  barred  with  white. 

Downy  Young  :  Uniform  black. 

Geographical  Distribution :  North  America,  from  the  British 
provinces  south  to  Guatemala. 

Breeding  Range :  Wherever  resident. 

Breeding  Season:  April,  May,  and  June. 

Nest :  A  mat  of  grasses  ;  placed  on  a  hummock  in  a  marsh. 

Eyys  :  7  to  12  ;  buffy,  marked  with  chestnut.    Size  1.24  X  0.94. 

THE  Virginia  Rail,  although  more  common  east 
of  the  Rockies,  is  by  no  means  rare  throughout 
California.       He     is    an    odd-looking 
bird  with  voice  and  manners  in  keep- 
ing with  his  appearance.  In 
the    early  morning   and   at 
twilight  his  call  is  a  curi- 
ous combination  of  grunt 
and  squeal.    The  love 
song,  however,  is  quite 
different ;    it    is    de- 
scribed as  "  a  guttural 
cut,  cutta-cutta-ciitta  oft 
repeated  for  hours  in  suc- 
cession."   You  have  only 
to  visit  a  marsh  lake  in 
the  afternoon  or  early  in  212.  VIRGINIA  BAIL. 

the    morning     and    listen,     "  Picking  AM  way  cautiously  between  the  tules.* 


102  WATER   BIRDS 

to  discover  whether  or  not  he  is  nesting  there.  But  the 
marsh  birds  are  shy  and  very  wary,  and  the  long  marsh 
grass  guards  them  well.  It  is  far  easier  to  hear  them 
than  to  see  them.  If  your  patience  endures  long 
enough,  you.  may  catcli  a  glimpse  of  a  Rail  picking 
his  way  cautiously  between  the  tules,  with  a  curious 
bobbing  motion.  If  you  are  so  fortunate  as  to  find  a 
mother  bird  on  her  eggs,  she  will  become  rigid  with 
terror,  her  red  eye  dilating  and  her  long  neck  stretched 
up  not  unlike  a  water  snake.  In  this  position  you  may 
easily  mistake  her  for  a  stick  or  a  dry  rush.  If  flushed, 
her  small  powers  of  flight  suffice  to  carry  her  only  a  short 
distance,  when  she  will  disappear  in  the  rushes  and  no 
patient  waiting  will  give  you  another  glimpse  of  her. 
My  own  experience  goes  to  prove  that  the  nest  is  always 
deserted  by  her  after  the  first  forced  flight  from  it. 

Mr.  Brewster  says :  "  The  female,  when  anxious  about 
her  eggs  or  young,  calls  ki-ki-ki-ki  in  low  tones,  and 
kiu  much  like  a  flicker.  The  young  of  both  sexes  in 
autumn  give,  when  startled,  a  short  explosive  kep  or 
kiky  closely  similar  to  that  of  the  Carolina  rail." 

214.    SORA,   OR  CAROLINA   RAIL.  —  Porzana   Carolina. 
FAMILY  :  The  Rails,  Gallinules,  and  Coots. 

Length:  8.60. 

Adults :  Feathers  about  base  of  bill  black  ;  a  broad  black  line  through 
crown  and  extending  down  the  back  of  the  neck  ;  throat,  breast,  and 
cheeks  gray  ;  upper  parts  grayish  brown,  streaked  with  black  and 
white  ;  belly  white  ;  flanks  barred  with  blackish  slate-color. 

Young :  Similar,  but  no  black  at  base  of  bill  ;  upper  parts  darker. 

Downy  Young:  Uniform  black  ;  a  tuft  of  orange-colored,  hair-like 
feathers  on  throat. 


BIRDS   FOUND   IN   BAYOUS   AND   MARSHES     103 

Geographical  Distribution:  North  America  ;  south  in  winter  to  northern 
parts  of  South  America. 

Breeding  Range:  Northern  United  States,  northward,  including  Cali- 
fornia and  Oregon. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest:  Of  grass  ;  on  the  ground,  in  a  marshy  place. 

Eggs:  7  to  14  ;  cream-color,  marked  with  cinnamon  and  lilac.  Size 
1.26  X  0.90. 

THE  Sora  Rail  breeds  commonly  in  California  in 
swamps  about  Los  Angeles  and  other  suitable  localities. 
Unlike  the  clapper  rail,  it  prefers  fresh-water  sloughs, 
where  it  hides  among  the  tall  rushes.  The  baby  Rails 
are  fluffy  little  black  chicks  with  absurdly  large  feet,  and 
necks  too  long  for  their  fat  little  bodies.  Almost  as 
soon  as  hatched  they  run  about  among  the  grass  of  the 
drier  parts,  sometimes  being  taken  away  from  the  water 
to  an  adjacent  meadow,  where  they  soon  learn  to  snap 
up  bugs  and  small  grasshoppers.  Like  all  the  rail 
family,  the  Soras  are  most  musical  at  dawn  and  dusk, 
when  their  queer  weird  notes  make  the  marshland  seem 
an  uncanny  spot.  In  the  South  this  species  is  sold  as  a 
game  bird  under  the  name  of  ortolan,  and  is  much  liked 
by  epicures,  though  its  thin  little  body  has,  not  without 
reason,  given  rise  to  the  saying  "  As  thin  as  a  rail."  It 
is  abundant  on  migrations,  flying  at  night  and  resting 
wherever  it  happens  to  be  during  the  day,  even  in  the 
noisy  streets  of  Chicago.  In  these  circumstances  it 
seems  stupid  and  confused.  I  have  captured  it  without 
difficulty  while  it  was  resting,  as  it  squats  on  the  ground, 
making  absolutely  no  effort  to  escape. 

Mr.  Frank  Chapman  writes  of  this  species:  "The 
Sora's  summer  home  is  in  fresh-water  marshes,  where, 


104  WATER  BIRDS 

if  it  were  not  for  their  notes,  the  reeds  and  grasses 
would  long  keep  the  secret  of  their  presence.  .  .  .  They 
will  greet  you  late  in  the  afternoon  with  a  clear  whistled 
keewee  which  soon  comes  from  dozens  of  invisible  birds 
about  you,  and  long  after  night  has  fallen  it  continues, 
like  a  spring-time  chorus  of  piping  hylas.  Now  and 
again  it  is  interrupted  by  a  high-voiced  rolling  whinny 
which,  like  a  call  of  alarm,  is  taken  up  and  repeated  by 
different  birds  all  over  the  marsh.  They  seem  so  ab- 
sorbed in  their  musical  devotions  even  when  calling  con- 
tinuously, it  requires  endless  patience  and  keen  eyes  to 
see  the  dull-colored,  motionless  forms  in  places  where 
one  would  not  suppose  thjere  was  sufficient  growth  to 
conceal  them." 

216.1.   CALIFORNIA  BLACK  RAIL.  —  Creciscus 

jamaicensis  coturn  iculus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Rails,  Gallinules,  and  Coots. 
Length:  5.00-6.00. 
Adults:  Crown   blackish  slate;  upper  parts  dark  red-brown,   speckled 

with  white  ;  under  parts,  neck,  and  sides  of  head  slate-color ;  belly 

sooty  brown. 

Downy  Young:  Uniform  black. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Coast  region  of  California  ;  probably  south  to 

Lower  California. 
Breeding  Range :  For  the  Pacific  slope,  Oregon  and  California ;  east  of 

the  Rockies,  through  the  United  States. 
Breeding  Season :  June. 

Nest :  Of  grasses  ;  on  ground  ;  in  wet  meadows  or  marshes. 
Eggs :  7  to  10  ;  white,  thinly  spotted  with  cinnamon.     Size  1.05  X  0.80. 

MOST  of  us  are  quite  willing  to  agree  with  the  man 
who  said  that  this  bird  is  "  about  as  difficult  to  observe 
as  a  field  mouse."  It  is  its  shyness  and  small  size  that 
render  it  so  little  known  to  local  ornithologists,  who  con- 
tent themselves  with  pronouncing  it  rare.  Its  nest  is  a 


BIRDS   FOUND   IN   BAYOUS   AND   MARSHES     105 

cup-shaped  depression  lined  with  fine  grasses,  usually  in 
a  wet  meadow  ;  it  may  be  mistaken  for  that  of  a  meadow 
lark,  but  is  nearly  an  inch  less  in  diameter  and  never 
arched  over.-  The  Black  Rail  nests  in  the  marshes  at 
Alviso,  California,  'and,  I  have  no  doubt,  elsewhere 
throughout  the  State.  The  young  are  tiny  black  bulls  of 
down,  apparently  less  than  one  inch  in  diameter ;  they 
leave  the  nest  the  moment  the  down  is  dry,  and  run 
about  with  the  agility  of  sandpipers.  Although  so  tiny, 
they  have  the  instinct  of  self-preservation  to  a  marked 
degree ;  whenever  danger  threatens  they  stiffen  into  un- 
winking puff-balls,  with  only  their  beady  black  eyes  to 
betray  life. 

219.    FLORIDA   GALLINULE,   OR   RED-BILLED 
MUD-HEN.  —  Gallinula  galeata. 

FAMILY  :  The  Rails,  Gallinules,  and  Coots. 

Length:  13.25. 

Adults:    Dark  slate-color,  sometimes  tinged  with  brown  on  back  and 

whitish  on  belly ;  edge  of  wing  and  a  patch  on  flank  white  ;  bill  and 

frontal  shield  red,  tipped  with  greenish  ;  legs  and  feet  greenish. 
Downy  Young:  Uniform  black,  a  few  white  hairs  among  the  down  on 

throat  and  cheeks. 
Geographical  Distribution :    Tropical   and   temperate    North   America, 

north  to  British  provinces. 

Breeding  Range :  For  the  Pacific  slope,  from  Oregon  southward. 
Breeding  Season :  April,  May,  and  June. 
Nest :  A  mat  of  rushes  bent  over  and  more  or  less  woven  together,  over 

water. 
Eggs:    8  to  10 ;   cream-buff,  finely  marked  with  reddish  brown   and 

chocolate.     Size  1.87  X  1.25. 

IN  form  so  like  a  sleek  bantam  hen,  in  habits  so  like 
a  coot,  the  Florida  Gallinule  is  a  most  interesting  study. 


106  WATER   BIRDS 

It  has  a  large  vocabulary  of  calls  ranging  from  harsh 
squawks  to  pathetic  complaining  cries  not  unlike  the  skirl 
of  a  bagpipe.  It  is  a  common  resident  on  the  fresh- 
water marshes  of  California,  where  it  can  be  heard  much 
oftener  than  seen  ;  for  it  is  exceedingly  shy,  and  its  dusky 
plumage  renders  it  inconspicuous  among  the  rushes.  In 
swimming  it  has  a  rather  awkward  way  of  sitting  up 
very  straight  and  bobbing  its  head  with  every  stroke  of 
its  feet.  Feeding  on  the  mud-flats,  it  dips  daintily,  as  it 
picks  its  way  through  the  tangled  reeds  after  the  manner 
of  the  king  rail.  Its  nest  is  of  dried  tule  or  marsh  grass, 
lined  with  softer  grass  of  the  meadow,  the  latter  being 
brought  there  from  a  distance.  All  about  the  rim  of  the 
structure  the  rushes  are  broken  to  form  a  guard  for 
the  eggs,  for  although  usually  about  three  inches  deep 
the  nests  are  sometimes  only  a  shallow  platform.  The 
young  run  about  like  tiny  black  chicks,  and  pick  up  a 
living  from  the  water,  almost  as  soon  as  they  are  hatched. 
It  would  be  impossible  to  distinguish  them  from  young 
clapper  rails  except  for  the  sprinkling  of  white  hairs 
among  the  black  down.  They  are  quite  unlike  little 
chickens  in  one  thing :  at  the  warning  call  of  the  parent 
they  disappear  noiselessly,  as  if  by  magic,  or  are  meta- 
morphosed into  dark  stones  ;  feathered  barnyard  babies, 
on  the  other  hand,  run  to  the  mother  with  cries  of  fear. 


BIRDS   FOUND   IN    BAYOUS   AND   MARSHES     107 

221.    AMERICAN  COOT.  —  Fulica  americana. 
(Common  names:  Mud-hen;  Blue  Peter.) 
FAMILY  :  The  Rails,  Gallinules,  and  Coots. 

Length:  15.25. 

Adults :  Dark  bluish  slate,  nearly  black  on  head  and  neck  ;  under  parts 
paler ;  edge  of  wing  white  ;  bill  white  ;  frontal  plate,  and  spots  on 
bill  near  end,  brown  ;  legs  and  feet  greenish  ;  toes  with  scalloped  flaps. 

Downy  Young  :  Upper  parts  rusty  black  ;  under  parts  white  ;  head  and 
neck  with  orange-colored  hair-like  feathers,  and  upper  parts  with  pale 
yellow  hair-like  feathers  among  the  down  ;  bill  red,  tipped  with  black. 

Geographical  Distribution :  North  America. 

Breeding  Range:  Breeds  locally  through  the  United  States,  British 
Columbia,  and  Canada. 

Breeding  Season :  April,  May,  and  June. 

Nest :  Of  grass  and  reeds  ;  among  the  flags  or  tall  marsh  grass. 

Eggs:  8  to  16 ;  cream-colored,  speckled  with  dark  chocolate.  Size 
1.89  X  1.42. 

ALTHOUGH  so  closely  resembling  the  Florida  gallinule 
in  appearance,  the  Coots  may  be  easily  distinguished 
from  them  by  their  white  bills.  They  are  much  more 
social  and  are  better  swimmers  than  the  gallinules, 
gathering  in  companies  morning  and  evening  in  the 
shallow  water  at  the  edge  of  a  marsh,  to  feed  upon  the 
larvae  of  water  insects  and  small  crustaceans,  which  they 
obtain  by  diving.  They  like  best,  however,  to  pick  up 
their  food  from  the  slime  at  the  border  of  a  mud  flat 
or  low  marshy  place,  and  here  they  take  their  newly 
hatched  bantlings.  The  young  are  covered  with  down 
of  a  rusty  black  color  above  and  white  beneath,  with 
pale  yellow  hair-like  feathers  sprinkled  through  it.  Their 
bills,  unlike  those  of  the  parents,  are  red.  They  some- 
times stray  near  a  farmyard  and  may  be  picked  up  easily, 
as  they  seem  stupefied  with  fear. 


108  WATER  BIRDS 

The  adult  Coots  are  very  noisy  birds,  constantly  call- 
ing, screaming,  or  complaining.  Just  after  nightfall  and 
before  dawn,  most  California  marshes  are  vocal  with 
their  varied  cries.  But,  like  the  gallinules,  they  are 
more  easily  heard  than  seen,  for  they  are  exceedfngly 
shy.  If  surprised  and  forced  to  flight,  they  rise  with 
much  splattering,  fly  rapidly  a  short  distance,  and  fall 
back  into  the  marsh.  They  are  worthless  as  game  birds, 
as  their  flesh  is  tough  and  rank  in  taste ;  for  this  reason 
the  real  sportsman  shuns  them. 


PART   II 
LAND    BIRDS 


PART    II 
LAND   BIRDS 


I.  — UPLAND    GAME    BIRDS 

230.    WILSON  SNIPE.  —  Gallinago  delicata. 

(Common  names  :  Jack  Snipe  ;  English  Snipe.) 

FAMILY  :  The  Snipes  and  Sandpipers. 

Length:  10.85. 

Adults:  Crown  buff ;  upper  parts  black,  bordered  and  mottled  with  buff  ; 

neck  and  breast  mottled  and  streaked  buffy  and  blackish  brown  ;  sides 

barred  black  and  white  ;  belly  white. 
Downy  Young :   Upper  parts  dusky,  more  or  less  mottled  with  light 

brown  ;  under  parts  whitish. 

Geographical  Distribution :  North  America  ;  south  in  winter  to  Brazil. 
Breeding  Range :  From  latitude  45°  to  the  arctic  circle.     In  California, 

the  valleys  of  the  northern  Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season:  In  California,  June  15  to  July  15. 
Nest :    A  slight  depression  on  open,  marshy  ground ;    sometimes  lined 

with  grass,  usually  unlined. 
Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  olive,  streaked  with  black  and  chocolate.     Size  1.55  X 

1.07. 

THE  species  known  as  Jack  Snipe,  or  English  Snipe, 
is  a  prime  favorite  with  sportsmen  and  epicures.  Breed- 
ing so  far  north,  they  are  commonly  hunted  as  migrants, 
and  so  are  more  or  less  protected  during  their  nesting 


112  LAND   BIRDS 

season.  They  usually  migrate  in  small  companies.  Dur- 
ing the  breeding  season  solitary  birds  are  frequently  seen, 
which  spring  from  the  marsh  grass  with  a  harsh  cry  and 
zigzag  swiftly  out  of  sight  in  a  way  most  tantalizing  to 
the  sportsman.  Only  an  expert  can  hope  to  bag  them. 
The  Jack  Snipe  frequents  low  wet  places,  obtaining 
food  after  the  manner  of  a  woodcock,  by  probing  with 
its  long  slender  bill,  which,  although  not  prehensile  to 
the  extent  of  a  woodcock's,  is  yet  very  sensitive  at  the 
tip,  and  readily  detects  the  choice  morsels  of  food  down 
in  the  damp  earth. 

Their  capricious  selection  of  feeding  ground  seems  to 
be  governed  by  some  occult  knowledge  as  to  the  con- 
ditions of  the  soil,  for  they  are  here  to-day,  gone  to- 
morrow, and  often  the  only  places  which  seem  most 
likely  to  be  their  haunt  will  not  be  visited  by  them 
at  all. 

Mr.  Bailey  writes  of  the  Jack  Snipe :  "  He  is  a  com- 
mon bird  wherever  there  are  marshes  to  his  taste.  .  .  . 
On  warm  summer  evenings  or  cloudy  days  before  a 
storm,  he  mounts  high  in  the  air  and  with  rapidly  vi- 
brating wings  produces  a  prolonged  whirr  that  increases 
to  a  diminutive  roar,  and  repeats  it  every  two  or  three 
minutes  for  sometimes  half  an  hour.  At  other  times  he 
flies  low  over  the  grass  uttering  a  guttural  chuck-chuck- 
chuck-chuck-chuck,  and  then  drops  out  of  sight.  His 
common  all-round-the-year  note  is  a  nasal  squawk" 


UPLAND   GAME   BIRDS  113 

281.  MOUNTAIN    PLOVER.  —  Podasocys  montanus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Plovers. 

Length:  8.00-9.00. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Upper  parts  grayish  brown  ;  under  parts  buffy  ;  a 

white  baud  across  forehead  and  over  the  eye;  front  of  crown  and 

lores  black. 

Adults  in  Winter:  Without  distinct  black  or  white  on  head. 
Young:   Similar  to  winter  adults,   but    general  tone  light   yellowish 

brown  or  buffy. 
Geographical   Distribution:    United    States   bordering  the    Pacific;    in 

winter  as  far  south  as  Santa  Ana. 

Breeding  Range  :  Interior  of  the  United  States  from  Texas  to  Montana. 
Breeding  Season  :  June  and  July. 
Nest :  Anywhere  on  the  open  prairie ;  a  depression  in  the  ground,  thinly 

lined  with  grass. 
Eijgs:  3  ;  light  buffy  olive,  thickly  speckled  with  lavender,  brown,  and 

black.     Size  1.45  X  1.11. 

THROUGHOUT  the  interior  plains  of  California  west  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada  the  Mountain  Plover  is  a  common 
winter  resident.  It  can  be  easily  recognized  by  its  large 
size,  and  by  the  absence  of  rings  on  throat  and  breast. 
Mountain  Plover  is  one  of  the  many  misnomers,  for 
although  called  by  this  name,  the  bird  loves  the  prairies 
and  treeless  plains,  and  is  never  found  at  great  altitudes. 
Unlike  most  plovers,  it  seems  to  shun  the  water ;  even 
in  California  it  is  not  found  along  the  beaches  where 
its  relatives  feed,  but  hunts  grasshoppers  and  terrestrial 
insects  in  the  drier  inland  meadows.  Its  nest  consists  of 
a  few  grasses  scratched  together  in  a  spot  exposed  to 
wind  and  weather ;  and  here  the  female  broods  for  nine- 
teen days.  As  soon  as  the  down  is  dry  on  the  chicks, 
they  scramble  off  at  their  mother's  heels,  and  in  twenty- 
four  hours  are  catching  bugs  for  themselves. 


H4  LAND  BIRDS 

292.    MOUNTAIN    PARTRIDGE.  —  Oreortyx  pictus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Grouse,  Partridges,  Quails,  etc. 

Length:  10.00-11.12. 

Adult  Male:   Crest  black  ;  back  and  upper  parts  olive-brown,  striped 

on  sides  of  back  with  light  brown ;  top  of  head  and  entire  breast 

slate-color ;    throat   and   sides   dark    red-brown  ;   sides  barred   with 

black  and  white. 

Adult  Female  :  Crest  shorter,  otherwise  like  male. 
Young :  Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  speckled  with  white  ;  breast  gray, 

with  wedge-shaped  white  spots  ;  a  whitish  line  over  the  ear  ;  belly 

white;  sides  washed  with  chestnut. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Humid  transition  zone  of  Pacific  coast  region, 

from  about  latitude  35°  to  Southern  Washington. 
Breeding  Range :  Nearly  coincident  with  its  habitat. 
Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 
Nest:    A   slight  depression  in  the  ground,  lined   sparingly  with   dry 

leaves  ;  placed  beside  or  under  a  fallen  tree  or  a  bush. 
Eggs:  8  to  13  ;  plain  light  buff.     Size  1.36  X  1.02. 

THE  Mountain  Partridge  of  the  coast  belt  is  so  nearly 
like  the  plumed  partridge  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  in  habits 
and  coloring  as  scarcely  to  need  a  separate  description. 
Both  are  designated  as  "  mountain  quail "  in  the  com- 
mon parlance,  and  it  is  about  as  difficult  to  obtain  a 
satisfactory  view  of  one  as  of  the  other.  The  plumed 
partridge  is  said  to  measure  a  trifle  less  than  this  species, 
but  in  the  field  the  only  distinguishing  marks  are  the 
grayer  tone  of  the  back  and  the  bluish  nape,  all  of  which 
makes  it  difficult  to  differentiate  the  species.  The 
Range  is  possibly  the  best  guide  for  an  amateur  in  iden- 
tifying the  species. 

(For  habits  see  "  Plumed  Quail.") 


UPLAND   GAME   BIRDS  115 


292  a.    PLUMED    PARTRIDGE.  —  Oreortyx  pictus 
plumiferus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Grouse,  Partridges,  Quails,  etc. 

Length:  10.50-11.50. 

Adult  Male  :  Crest  black  ;  forehead  whitish  ;  upper  parts  grayish  olive, 

striped  on  sides  of  back  with  light  brown  ;  top  of  head,  hind-neck, 

and  breast  bluish  slate-color  ;  throat  and  sides  dark  red-brown  ;  sides 

barred  with  black  and  white. 

Adult  Female  :  Crest  shorter ;  otherwise  plumage  the  same. 
Young :  Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  speckled  with  white ;  breast  gray 

with  triangular  white  spots ;   a  whitish   line   over  the  ear  ;    belly 

white;  sides  washed  with  chestnut. 
Downy  Young :  Head  and  neck  buffy ;  broad  chestnut  stripe  down  the 

middle  of  back  and  rnmp,  bordered  along  each  side  by  dusky  ;  breast 

and  belly  dull  whitish. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Arid  transition  zone  of  Pacific  coast  district, 

from  Lower  California  northward  through  Oregon. 

Breeding  Range  :  Along  both  sides  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  the  south- 
ern ranges. 

Breeding  Season  :  April  and  May. 
Nest :  On  the  ground  ;  on  bed  of  dead  leaves  ;  concealed  under  a  bush, 

or  weeds,  or  log. 

Eggs:  Usually  8  to  14  ;  uniform  buff.     Size  1.36  X  1.02. 
Food:  Insects,  berries,  and  bugs. 

ONE  bright  morning  in  early  June,  on  the  way  from 
Fyffe  to  Slippery  Ford  on  the  Lake  Tahoe  stage  route, 
we  flushed  a  Plumed  Partridge  from  the  roadside,  and 
my  companion  remarked  that  he  had  flushed  a  partridge 
from  that  place  two  days  before.  A  search  for  a  nest 
began  among  the  manzanita  bushes  and  "  mountain 
misery,"  which  latter  was  thick,  nearly  ten  inches  high. 
After  a  short  hunt  we  discovered  the  treasure  hidden 
well  at  the  base  of  a  tall  cedar  and  guarded  by  the 
pretty  white  blossoms  and  green  leaves  of  Chamsebatia. 


116  LAND  BIRDS 

It  was  made  of  leaves  and  stems  of  this  plant  and  lined 
with  feathers,  and  in  it  lay  ten  eggs  of  the  Plumed 
Partridge.  They  were  nearly  ready  to  hatch,  —  how 
ready  I  did  not  guess,  —  and  with  a  hope  that  no  one 
would  molest  them  in  the  meantime,  we  departed,  re- 
solving to  come  back  the  next  day.  But  I  reckoned 
without  my  host,  for  having  eaten  luncheon  and  rested, 
I  stole  back  alone  for  a  last  peep  at  them,  and  two  had 
pipped  the  shells  while  a  third  was  cuddled  down  in 
the  split  halves  of  his  erstwhile  covering.  The  distress 
of  the  mother  was  pitiful,  and  I  had  not  the  heart  to 
torture  the  beautiful  creature  needlessly  ;  so  going  off  a 
little  way,  I  lay  down  flat  along  the  "  misery,"  regardless 
of  the  discomfort, -and  awaited  developments.  Before  I 
could  focus  my  glasses  she  was  on  the  nest,  her  anxious 
little  eyes  still  regarding  me  suspiciously.  In  less  time 
than  it  takes  to  tell  it,  the  two  were  out  and  the  mother 
cuddled  them  in  her  fluffed-out  feathers.  This  was  too 
interesting  to  be  left.  Even  at  the  risk  of  being  too  late 
to  reach  my  destination,  I  must  see  the  outcome.  Two 
hours  later  every  egg  had  hatched  and  a  row  of  tiny 
heads  poked  out  from  beneath  the  mother's  breast.  I 
started  toward  her  and  she  flew  almost  into  my  face,  so 
closely  did  she  pass  me.  Then  by  many  wiles  she  tried  in 
vain  to  coax  me  to  go  another  way.  I  was  curious  and 
therefore  merciless.  Moreover,  I  had  come  all  the  way 
from  the  East  for  just  such  hours  as  this.  But  once  more 
a  surprise  awaited  me.  There  was  the  nest,  there  were 
the  broken  shells ;  but  where  were  the  young  partridges  ? 
Only  one  of  all  that  ten  could  I  find.  For  so  closely  did 


UPLAND   GAME   BIRDS  117 

they  blend  in  coloring  with  the  shadows  on  the  pine 
needles  under  the  leaves  of  the  "  misery  "  that  although  I 
knew  they  were  there,  and  dared  not  step  for  fear  of 
crushing  them,  I  was  not  sharp  enough  to  discover  them. 
No  doubt  a  thorough  search  would  have  been  successful, 
but  this  a  dread  of  injuring  them  forbade  me  to  make. 

So  picking  up  the  one  which  had  crouched  motionless 
beside  a  leaf  and  which  was  really  not  much  larger  than 
my  thumb,  I  contented  myself  with  trying  to  solve  the 
mystery  of  how  so  much  bird  ever  grew  in  that  small 
shell,  half  of  which  would  scarcely  cover  his  head. 
Once  fairly  in  my  hand,  he  cuddled  down  perfectly  con- 
tented to  let  me  fit  the  empty  shell  to  his  fat  little  body, 
as  if  he  knew  he  was  out  of  that  for  good.  He  was  a 
funny  little  ball  of  fluffy  down,  with  a  dark  stripe  down 
his  back  and  a  lesser  one  on  each  side  of  that.  Mean- 
while the  adult  bird  had  disappeared,  and  there  was  no 
choice  but  to  put  the  youngster  back  in  the  nest  and  go 
on  my  way.  But  I  had  learned  two  tilings,  —  that  affairs 
move  rapidly  in  the  partridge  household,  and  that  hu- 
man eyes  are  seldom  a  match  for  a  bird's  instinct. 

Most  interesting  of  the  many  characteristics  of  the 
Plumed  Partridge  is  the  habit  of  migration  into  the 
valleys  by  the  first  of  September  each  year,  and  back  to 
the  elevations  in  the  early  spring.  Scarcity  of  food  does 
not  drive  them  to  more  fertile  foraging  grounds,  for  in 
the  spring  they  return  while  yet  there  is  snow.  Unlike 
their  relatives,  these  birds  do  not  band  together  in  large 
flocks,  and  seldom  more  than  two  broods  are  to  be  found 
in  the  same  cover.  Mr.  Edwyu  Sandys  says  :  "  The  call 


118  LAND   BIRDS 

of  the  male  is  suggestive  of  the  crowing  of  a  young  ban- 
tam, while  the  rallying  cry  of  scattered  birds  is  not  unlike 
the  yelping  of  young  wild  turkeys." 


294.    CALIFORNIA    PARTRIDGE.  —  Lophorlyx 
californicus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Grouse,  Partridges,  Quails,  etc. 

Length :  9.50.  • 

Adult  Male :  Crest  black ;  nape  dusky  brown,  bordered  by  black  and 
white  Hues  ;  upper  parts  dusky  brown,  striped  with  chestnut  along 
the  sides  of  the  back  ;  throat  black,  bordered  by  white ;  breast  slate- 
color;  belly,  except  chestnut  patch,  scaled  ;  sides  dusky  brown, 
streaked  with  white. 

Adult  Female:  Head  plain,  with  no  black  and  white  ;  plumage  uniform 
dusky  brown;  belly  scaled;  no  chestnut  on  under  parts;  sides 
streaked  with  white. 

Young :  Upper  parts  gray-brown  ;  feathers  of  back  and  wing-coverts 
edged  with  dark  gray  and  white ;  under  parts  white  and  gray. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  region  from  Monterey  to  Oregon. 

Breeding  Range  :  Nearly  coincident  with  the  Geographical  Distribution. 

Breeding  Season  :  April  and  May. 

Nest:  A  hollow  near  a  rock  or  at  foot  of  a  tree  trunk;  scantily  lined 
with  grass  ;  sometimes  under  hedge,  bush,  or  brush -heap. 

Eggs:  8  to  10;  buffy,  thickly  spotted  with  shades  of  brown.  Size 
1.33  X  0.97. 

THE  crest  of  the  California  Partridge  is  a  little  longer 
than  that  of  the  valley  partridge,  and  tips  forward  in  the 
same  way. 

This  handsome  little  partridge  is  unfortunately  a 
favorite  game  bird,  and,  as  such,  has  become  not  only 
somewhat  scarce  but  exceedingly  shy.  It  haunts  the 
canons  and  slopes  covered  with  underbrush,  as  well  as 
the  sagebrush  and  stubble,  and  has  learned  to  run  to 
cover  rather  than  to  flush  when  pursued.  In  this  way 


UPLAND   GAME   BIRDS 


119 


it  offers  a  difficult  mark  for  the  true  sportsman,  and  is 
less  in  danger  from  him  than  from  the  pitiless  trapper. 

It  differs  from  the  valley  partridge  in  being  darker- 
colored  and  of  a  more  northern  range,  but  is  often  mis- 
taken for  it,  as  the  habits  and  call  are  exactly  alike.  It 
is  quite  unlike  the  mountain  partridge,  —  an  inch  smaller, 
and  !1  with  more  of  a  blue  tinge  to  the  slate-color  of 
the  ?<f  plumage.  Moreover  the  crest  is  shorter  and  tips 

forward  like  a  pompon, 
while    the    mountain 
partridge  usually  car- 
ries his  long 
-    crest  float- 
*  "  ing  backward. 

Unlike  the  nest  of  the 
mountain  partridge,  too, 
the  nest  of  californicus  is 
rarely  concealed,  the  eggs 
being  laid  on  a  mat  of  leaves  or  grass  on  the  open  ground 
beside  a  stump  or  under  a  bush,  and  they  are  sometimes 
found  in  the  nest  of  the  Oregon  towhee.  Doubtless  the 
protective  coloring  helps  to  prevent  their  discovery  dur- 
ing the  three  weeks  required  for  incubation.  In  this 
task,  unlike  our  Eastern  "  Bob  White,"  the  male  does 
not  assist,  but  frequently  stands  guard  at  a  short  distance 
and  warns  of  danger  by  a  sharp  short  call.  The  chicks 
are  out  of  the  nest  almost  as  soon  as  out  of  the  shell, 
and  are  as  skilful  as  their  parents  at  running  to  cover. 
When  a  day  or  two  old  they  learn  to  find  their  own  food, 
picking  up  the  bugs  and  even  jumping  for  them  when 


294.   CALIFORNIA  PARTRIDGE. 

"/<  haunts  the  canons  and  slopes." 


120  LAND   BIRDS 

they  themselves  are  not  much  larger  than  a  good-sized 
beetle.  Although  so  capable  and  independent,  they  are 
constantly  attended  by  both  parents  until  the  down  has 
merged  into  fully  developed  feathers.  Then  the  gregari- 
ous habits- of  the  grouse  blood  assert  themselves,  and  by 
September  1  all  the  broods  of  that  district  band  to- 
gether to  the  number  of  several  hundred  individuals,  and 
remain  so  throughout  the  fall  and  winter.  This  is  the 
harvest  time  of  the  hunters  and  the  season  of  unrest  for 
the  birds.  In  the  early  autumn  mornings  in  the  stubble 
of  the  field  and  the  underbrush  of  the  canons,  you  may 
hear  their  plaintive  whistle,  "  who-are-you,"  questioning 
whether  friend  or  foe  is  astir. 

294  a.    VALLEY    PARTRIDGE.  —  Lophortyx  calif ornicus 
vallicola. 

FAMILY  :  The  Grouse,  Partridges,  Quails,  etc. 

Length:  9.50. 

Adults :  Similar  to  the  California  partridge  ;  upper  parts  grayish  ;  sides 

olive ;  crest  short  and  tipped  forward. 
Young:   Breast   gray,   marked   with   wedge-shaped   black   spots;   belly 

faintly  barred  dark  and  light  gray;  upper  parts  striped  brown  and 

white. 
Downy  Young :  Upper  parts  white,  washed  with  rusty  and  mottled  with 

dark  brown ;  under  parts  plain  dull  whitish. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Pacific  coast  region  from  Southern  California 

to  Oregon  ;  through  upper  and  lower  Sonoran  zones. 
Breeding  Range :  The  interior  valleys  between  the  humid  coast  belt  and 

the  Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 

Nest:  A  slight  depression  in  ground,  under  hedge,  bush,  or  brush-heap. 
Eggs:  Generally  10  to  12  ;  bnffy,  thickly  spotted  with  shades  of  brown. 

Size  1.23  X  0.94. 

So  closely  allied  are  the  California  partridge  and  the 
Valley  Partridge  that  only  by  direct  comparison  of  the 


UPLAND   GAME   BIRDS  121 

two  species  may  the  lighter  coloring  of  the  latter  be  dis- 
tinguished. In  habits  they  are  alike,  but  in  range  they 
differ,  the  former  being  a  coast  bird  and  found  from 
Monterey  northward,  while  the  latter  occurs  in  the 
interior  and  southern  valleys.  In  spite  of  being  dubbed 
the  Valley  Partridge,  it  is  found  on  the  mountains  of 
Lower  California  sometimes  at  an  elevation  of  eight 
thousand  feet. 

It  breeds  throughout  suitable  localities  in  Southern 
California,  and  is  hunted  wherever  resident,  though  not 
so  extensively  as  formerly,  when  it  was  the  favorite  game 
bird  of  that  region. 

The  eggs  are  laid  on  a  mat  of  leaves  or  grass,  or  on 
the  bare  ground  either  in  underbrush  or  in  the  farmer's 
door-yard.  Incubation  requires  three  weeks,  and  usu- 
ally the  hen  alone  broods  the  eggs.  After  the  young 
are  hatched  they  are  kept  in  the  underbrush  or  heavy 
stubble  and  can  rarely  be  discovered,  so  expert  at  hiding 
are  they.  Like  the  California  partridge  they  run  to  cover 
rather  than  fly,  and  they  are  so  swift-footed  that  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  flush  them.  When  the  young  are 
feeding,  the  adult  males  constantly  call  them,  either  to 
keep  the  covey  together  or  to  give  warning  of  danger, 
and  they  answer  each  call  with  a  faint  piping  note.  This 
is  not  unlike  the  scatter  call  of  the  Eastern  Bob  White, 
but  consists  of  two  syllables  in  one  tone,  or  one  longer 
note.  It  is  not  unusual  to  come  upon  a  covey  of  these 
when  driving  through  the  foothills  and  valleys  of  South- 
ern California,  but  the  sensation  is  simply  of  something 
scampering  into  the  brush  rather  than  a  definite  sight 


122  LAND   BIRDS 

of  any  bird,  unless  the  cock  comes  out  into  view  for  a 
moment  to  sound  his  warning  and  draw  your  attention 
from  the  brood  to  his  handsome  self. 


295.    GAMBEL    PARTRIDGE.  —  Lophortyx  gambeli. 
FAMILY  :  The  Grouse,  Partridges,  Quails,  etc. 

Length:  9.00-10.00. 

Adult  Male :  Crest  black  ;  forehead  and  throat  black,  edged  with  white  ; 

crown   chestnut ;    upper  parts  slate-color ;    breast  gray  ;  belly  buff, 

with  black  patches  ;  sides  bright  chestnut,  streaked  with  white  lines. 
Adult  Female :  Similar  to  male,  but  plainer;  belly  without  black  patches, 

and  sides  without  white  stripes. 
Young:  Upper  parts  brownish  gray,  finely  mottled  black  and  white  ; 

belly  uniform  white  ;  breast  gray,  striped  with  white. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Lower  Sonoran  zone  from  Western  Texas  to 

Southeastern  California,  and  from  Southern  Utah  to  Mexico. 
Breeding  Range :  The  desert  region  of  California  southeast  of  the  Sierra 

Nevada. 

Breeding  Season  :  April  15  to  July  1. 
Nest:  A  slight  depression  in  the  ground,  under  a  bunch  of  tall  grass  ; 

usually  without  lining. 
Eggs:  10  to   12;  buffy,  marked  with  brown  and  blotched  with  light 

purple.     Size  1.27  X  0.98. 

EARLY  in  the  morning  during  the  months  of  March 
and  April,  the  love  note  of  the  Gambel  Partridge  may  be 
heard  from  the  underbrush  of  the  valleys  and  foothills 
of  Southeastern  California.  So  handsome,  so  confident 
in  his  wooing  is  he  that  he  sounds  it  over  and  over,  alike 
in  the  warm  spring  sunshine  and  the  soft  spring  rain. 
And  it  is  always  answered  by  a  demure  little  hen  that 
comes  stealing  noiselessly  through  the  mesquite  to  peep 
coyly  at  her  lordly  wooer.  She  admires  him.  Who 
would  not,  as  he  swells  and  struts  before  her,  lowering 
his  pretty  crest,  assuming  such  loverlike  airs  ?  And  the 


UPLAND   GAME   BIRDS  123 

protection  he  seems  to  offer  is  not  all  a  mockery,  for, 
although  he  scorns  to  take  part  in  the  feminine  task  of 
brooding  those  buffy  eggs,  he  will  stand  on  guard  ready 
to  warn,  and  will  expose  his  trim  body  to  the  hunter  for 
the  sake  of  his  mate  and  young.  The  brooding  time  is 
twenty-eight  days,  but  the  little  brown  mother  has  end- 
less patience  and  cannot  be  induced  to  desert.  If 
meddled  with,  she  will  in  some  way  remove  the  eggs  to 
another  hollow  in  the  ground,  and  brood  as  before. 
This  has  been  done  in  four  instances  that  I  have  re- 
corded, and  however  much  it  may  be  disputed,  is  true. 
Most  of  the  nests  are  hard  to  find,  being  usually  well 
concealed  in  a  hollow  under  a  log,  or  mesquite  clump, 
or  cacti.  The  nestlings  resemble  those  of  the  Bob  White 
in  appearance  as  well  as  habit,  only  they  are  grayer  and 
with  less  white  down  on  under  parts.  They  run  about 
the  moment  the  cracking  of  the  shell  sets  them  free,  and 
right  spry  little  balls  of  down  they  are,  hiding  instantly 
at  their  father's  warning  "  quit,"  cuddling  under  their 
mother  each  night,  and  snapping  up  bugs  for  their  own 
breakfasts  each  day.  Fortunately  for  them,  according  to 
Mr.  Sandys,  although  so  "  beautiful,  hardy,  and  prolific," 
they  have  some  habits  which  lead  a  sportsman  a  hard,  wild 
chase  if  he  gets  them  at  all.  They  run  rather  than  fly, 
keeping  under  the  thickest,  thorniest  cover ;  they  fly  down 
into  canons  only  to  climb  up  the  other  side  among  the 
stiffest  underbrush  ;  they  lie  low  when  the  foe  is  searching 
close  beside  them,  and  they  "  scoot  "  when  least  expected. 
"  Only  a  Christian  of  the  sternest  stripe  is  fit  to  be  trusted 
on  the  trail  of  this  nimble-footed  little  rascal." 


124  LAND  BIRDS 


297  c.   SIERRA   SOOTY   GROUSE.  —  Dendragapus 
obscurus  sierrae. 

FAMILY  :  The  Grouse,  Partridges,  Quails,  etc. 

Length:  Adult  male  20.00-23.00  ;  adult  female  16.00-19.00. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  blackish  slate-color,  finely  mottled  with  gray 

and  browu  ;  tail  black,  with  or  without  gray  border  on  end ;  under 

parts  very  dark  slate-color. 
Adult  Female :  Similar  to  male,  but  much  smaller  ;  upper  parts  washed 

with  dark  rusty,  and  indistinctly  barred  with  sooty  brown. 
Young:  Upper  parts  rusty  brown,  mottled  with  sooty  and  buff;  under 

parts  gray,  more  or  less  spotted  with  black. 

Downy  Young :  Above,  brown,  white,  and  black  mixed,  forming  irregu- 
lar stripes  on  the  back  and  head  ;  under  parts  grayish  white  or  light 

buffy  gray. 
Geographical  Distribution :  California  in  the  timbered  Transition  and 

Boreal  zone,  north  to  southern  Oregon. 

Breeding  Raiuje  :  Nearly  coincident  with  Geographical  Distribution. 
Breeding  Season  :  May  and  June. 

Nest:  A  hollow  under  the  side  of  a  log  or  bush,  scantily  lined  with  grass. 
Eggs :  7  to  10 ;    cream,  thickly  spotted  with  shades  of  brown.     Size 

1.78  X  1.33. 

THE  Sooty  Grouse  is  one  of  the  largest  and  hand- 
somest of  its  family.  It  haunts  the  coniferous  forests  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada,  and  rears  its  brood  in  security  in 
timber  too  dense  for  the  hunter.  Well  it  knows  that  in 
silence  and  statuesque  rigidity  lies  its  safety,  and  when 
pursued  it  takes  to  a  tree,  where  its  sooty  plumage 
makes  it  seem  like  a  bump  on  a  branch,  rather  than  a 
bird.  Let  it  guess,  however,  that  its  presence  is  dis- 
covered and  like  a  flash  it  is  gone,  cackling  like  a 
frightened  hen  and  "whirring"  like  a  small  cyclone, 
down  into  the  cover  of  the  underbrush. 

"  The  love-making  of  the  male  is  marked  by  all  the 


UPLAND   GAME  BIRDS  125 

pomp  and  vanity  of  the  strutting  gobbler  ;  indeed,  in  his 
actions  he  might  pass  for  a  turkey  bantam,  but  he  has 
one  marked  peculiarity.  It  is  his  habit  to  perch  in  some 
thick-growing  tree,  and  by  filling  the  sacs  upon  his  neck 
with  air  and  abruptly  expelling  it  to  produce  a  low  boom- 
ing whistle,  which  has  an  extraordinary  carrying  and 
ventriloquial  power.  This  booming,  or  'booing'  as 
some  Westerners  term  it,  seldom  fails  to  puzzle  sorely  a 
tenderfoot,  the  baffling  feature  of  it  being  that  it  does 
not  appear  to  gain  volume  or  distinctness  when  the  bird 
is  closely  approached."  1 

In  May  or  June,  according  to  location,  the  wooing 
begins,  and  soon  the  mother  is  brooding  on  her  eight 
buflfy  eggs  in  the  shade  of  a  fern  tangle,  near  a  log,  or  in 
a  clump  of  manzanita.  No  part  does  the  father  take  in 
the  three  weeks  of  patient  incubation,  but  the  mother 
can  seldom  be  surprised  away  from  the  nest.  It  would 
be  far  easier  to  discover  the  eggs  were  she  not  covering 
them,  for  so  protective  is  her  coloring  that  you  may  be 
looking  directly  at  her  and  never  suspect  it,  although  at 
that  very  moment  you  are  searching  for  a  nest.  Her 
food  is  all  about  her,  —  buds,  berries,  and  insects.  If 
she  leaves  the  eggs,  it  is  only  to  stretch  her  tired  little 
legs  and  pick  up  a  few  dainties  close  by.  But  once  the 
little  mottled  puff-balls  are  out  of  the  shell  and  dry, 
away  she  goes,  proud  as  a  peacock,  with  them  at  her 
heels.  And  now  the  father  is  introduced  to  family  cares, 
and  he  scratches  for  bugs,  calling  the  young  with  impera- 
tive little  chucks  to  come.  He  is  the  drill-master  of  the 

1  Upland  Game  Birds. 


126  LAND   BIRDS 

little  flock,  teaching  them  with  infinite  patience  all  that 
they  need  to  know  of  wood  lore.  He  stands  on  guard 
at  every  suspicious  noise,  and  whistles  his  warning  when 
danger  threatens.  When  their  wing-feathers  have  devel- 
oped and  they  can  flutter  up  to  a  low  branch  in  the  bush, 
they  roost  there  instead  of  cuddling  under  the  mother's 
broad  wings  at  night.  But  they  remain  with  the  parents 
and  evidently  under  discipline  throughout  the  first  six 
or  eight  months  of  their  existence.  In  the  wintry 
weather,  when  their  mountain  homes  are  covered  deep 
with  snow,  they  often  sleep  huddled  together  deep  in  a 
drift,  waking  to  feed  upon  the  buds  of  the  coniferous 
trees,  but  seldom  seeking  a  lower  level.  They  arc  the 
hardy  mountaineers,  the  children  of  the  forest  ranges. 


300 c.    OREGON    RUFFED   GROUSE.  —Bonasa 
umbellus  sabini. 

FAMILY  :  The  Grouse,  Partridges,  Quails,  etc. 

Length:  15.00-19.00. 

Adult  Male:  Rough  iridescent  black,  upper  parts  mottled  dark  brown 

and  black,  tail  rusty  dark  brown  ;  under  parts  heavily  barred  with 

black  and  brown. 

Adult  Female:  Similar  to  male,  and  with  neck  tufts  less  developed. 
Young:  Similar  to  adult  female,  but  browner,  and  neck  tufts  entirely 

wanting. 
Downy  Young :  Upper  parts  chestnut-brown  ;  deeper  on  under  wings  and 

rump  ;  under  parts  buff;  a  conspicuous  black  line  from  corner  of  eye 

through  ear  tufts. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Humid  transition  and  boreal  zones  and  the 

coast   ranges  from    Humboldt   County,  California,  to  the   northern 

limits  of  Washington. 
California  Breeding  Range:  The  humid  coast  boreal  from  Cape  Mendo- 

cino  northward. 


UPLAND   GAME   BIRDS  127 

Nest :  On  ground  in  the  woods,  usually  under  fallen  trees. 
Eggs :  6  to  12  ;  buffy,  sometimes  slightly  stained  or  speckled  with  brown. 
Size  1.56  X  1.16. 

THIS  is  a  fairly  common  resident,  in  the  coast  district 
of  Northern  California.  Its  habits  of  "  drumming,"  etc. 
are  lilte  those  of  the  Eastern  grouse.  The  cocks  leave 
their  mates  as  soon  as  sitting  begins,  and  do  not  usually 
return  until  fall,  when  the  broods  get  together  for  the 
winter.  The  young  are  to  be  found  with  the  mother  in 
the  vicinity  of  the  nesting  place  for  ten  days  gr  two 
weeks,  and  then  are  taken  to  a  thicket-bordered  stream. 
Their  food  consists  of  grasshoppers,  insects,  young  leaves 
of  plants,  berries,  and  a  few  varieties  of  seed,  such  as  the 
wild  sunflower. 

309.    SAGE   GROUSE.  —  Centrocercus  urophasianus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Grouse,  Partridges,  Quails,  etc. 

Length:  Male  26.00-30.00  ;  female  21.00-23.00. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  mottled  and  barred  gray,  buff,  and  black; 

cheeks,  chin,  and  throat  spotted  black  and  white  ;  a  white  crescent 

on  eacli  side  of  throat  reaching  to  eye  ;  fore-neck  black,  merging  to 

dull  gray  on  the  chest ;  the  feathers  with  very  stiff  black  shafts  ; 

belly  uniform  black  ;  chest  white  after  breeding  season.     In  breeding 

season,  tufts  of  wiry  black  feathers  mixed  with  white  down  on  the 

shoulders  ;  air  sacs  on  sides  of  throat  yellow. 
Adult  Female:  Chin  and  throat  white  ;  fore-neck  speckled  gray  in  ruffs  ; 

air  sacs  or  shoulder  plumes. 
Young :  Similar   to    female,    but   browner ;    markings   of  lower    parts 

indistinct. 

Dovmy  Young  :  Tipper  parts  brownish  gray  mottled  with  blackish. 
Geographical  Distribution:    Sagebrush   plains  of  the  Rocky  Mountain 

plateau,  southwest  to  California,  north  to  British  Columbia. 
Breeding  Range:  In  California  the  arid  Great  Basin  region,  east  of  the 

Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 


128  LAND   BIRDS 

Nest:  A  slight  depression  in  the  ground  ;  usually  unlined,  and  under  a 

sagebush. 
Eggs :  8  to  12 ;  olive-yellow,  spotted  with  dark  brown.     Size  2. 16  X  1.50. 

As  its  name  implies,  the  Sage  Grouse  loves  the  barren 
alkali  plains,  "  sun-parched  in  summer  and  swept  by  icy 
blasts  and  wolf-voiced  blizzards  during  the  winter/'  where 
no  green  thing  can  grow  save  the  sagebrush  and  the  cacti. 
Here,  of  necessity,  his  chief  diet  is  sage  leaves,  insects, 
and  the  pulp  of  the  cactus  fruit ;  his  drink  the  strong 
alkali  water  of  the  desert.  The  storms  of  winter  drive 
him  through  the  timber  belt  to  the  stunted  vegetation 
under  the  snow,  and  he  lives  for  weeks  at  a  time  in  the 
warm  shelter  of  a  deep  drift,  eating  the  young  green 
shoots  that  he  scratches  from  their  wintry  cover,  five  or 
six  feet  below  the  level.  With  the  spring  comes  a  revival 
of  life  to  the  big  Grouse.  A  restless  hunting  for  some- 
thing takes  possession  of  him,  and  he  wanders  through 
the  brush,  fighting  every  male  grouse  that  he  meets.  In 
March  he  encounters  his  fate  in  the  form  of  a  tiny  gray 
hen,  before  whom  he  struts  and  salaams,  sliding  along 
on  his  breast  until  he  wears  a  bare  place  among  his  fine 
feathers.  What  greater  proof  of  his  infatuation  could 
he  give  than  this  ?  "  Then  the  big  air  sacs  are  filled  to 
their  fullest  capacity,  the  spiny  feathers  about  them 
bristle  out  like  thorns,  the  long  tail  is  spread  and  the 
wings  trailed.  One  familiar  with  the  noise  of  other 
grouse  naturally  would  expect  from  this  great  fellow  a 
thunderous  booming,  but  the  fact  is  the  sounds  produced 
amount  to  nothing  more  than  a  broken,  indistinct  croak- 
ing." It  is  all  done  with  an  air  of  desperate  earnestness, 


UPLAND   GAME   BIRDS  129 

comical  to  a  disinterested  observer,  but  very  pleasing  to 
madam,  who,  feigning  indifference,  is  not  too  easily  won. 
Finally,  when  his  much  salaaming  has  scoured  his  breast 
nearly  bare,  you  may,  if  you  are  sharp  enough,  discover 
a  nest  with  greenish-buff  eggs  in  it,  hidden  snugly  under 
a  sagebush.  When  the  mother  is  brooding,  —  and  during 
the  twenty-two  days  required  for  incubation  she  is  rarely 
away  from  the  nest,  —  you  will  find  the  search  difficult  if 
not  futile.  So  protective  is  her  coloring,  and  so  perfectly 
does  she  blend  with  the  alkali  dust  and  the  shadows  of 
the  sage,  that  it  is  impossible  to  distinguish  her  so  long  as 
she  remains  motionless.  She  will  sit  in  unwinking  still- 
ness until  you  are  about  to  step  on  her,  and  then,  with  a 
blinding  "  whirr  "  she  scoots  through  the  brush,  cackling 
angrily,  to  return  before  you  are  fifty  yards  away. 

When  sitting  begins,  the  erstwhile  ardent  wooer  de- 
serts his  mate,  and  the  entire  care  of  the  little  ones 
falls  upon  her.  Like  all  grouse  nestlings,  they  run  about 
as  soon  as  the  down  is  dry,  which  is  about  fifteen  minutes 
after  the  shell  breaks.  They  pick  up  food  at  her  scratch- 
ing all  day,  and  at  night  they  nestle  on  the  ground  under 
her  wings,  only  a  row  of  little  heads  being  visible.  As 
soon  as  their  own  feathers  are  developed,  they  sleep  every 
night  in  a  circle  about  her,  each  one  with  head  pointed 
to  the  outside  as  before,  and  always  on  the  ground ;  for 
the  Sage-Grouse  never  trees.  It  is  not  difficult  to  come 
upon  a  brood  sleeping  this  way  on  a  moonlight  night; 
but  the  only  satisfaction  will  be  to  hear  the  sharp  alarm 
of  the  mother,  a  whirr  as  she  runs  by  you,  and  a  knowl- 
edge that  though  the  young  are  hiding  on  the  dust  at 


130  1.AND  BIRDS 

your  feet,  you  could  not  find  them  were  your  eyes  ten- 
fold sharper.  I  have  groped  carefully  on  hands  and 
knees  among  them,  and  actually  touched  one  before  I  saw 
it  at  all.  For  the  desert  hides  its  secrets  well,  and  the 
little  grouse  have  learned  to  trust  to  it  for  safety. 

These  broods  unite  with  others  in  the  same  locality, 
forming  coveys  of  a  hundred  or  more  individuals,  and  as 
cold  weather  advances,  they  retreat  to  their  snow  shel- 
ters at  the  timber  edge.  This  is  the  time  the  hunters 
go  forth  to  seek  them,  for  the  flesh  of  the  young  is  not 
yet  tainted  with  the  bitterness  of  sage  diet,  and  in  that 
barren  region  game  is  scarce. 

312.    BAND-TAILED  PIGEON.  —  Columba  fasciata. 
FAMILY  :  The  Pigeons,  or  Doves. 

Length:  15.00-16.00. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  browner  on  the  back,  bluer  on 
the  rump,  high  neck  bronzy  green,  crossed  by  narrow  collar  of  white  ; 
head  and  under  parts  metallic  purplish,  becoming  pink  on  belly  and 
gray  on  the  sides  ;  belly  whitish  ;  end  of  tail  crossed  by  broad  band 
of  pearl-gray,  bordered  by  black  on  the  upper  edge ;  wing-coverts 
narrowly  edged  with  white. 

Adult  Female :  Similar  to  male,  but  duller  and  grayer. 

Young :  Without  white  on  nape  ;  upper  parts  paler ;  under  parts  gray, 
washed  with  brown. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  United  States  from  Rocky  Moun- 
tains to  the  Pacific,  south  through  Mexico  to  Guatemala,  through 
the  Transition  zone. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Mountains  of  Southern  California. 

Breeding  Season :  May,  June,  July,  and  August. 

Nest :  A  thin  platform  of  sticks,  in  trees  or  bushes  near  water  ;  some- 
times on  the  ground. 

Eggs:  2  ;  white.     Size  1.50  X  1.20. 

THE  Band-tailed,  or  White-collared,  Pigeon  is  irregu- 
larly distributed  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the 


UPLAND   GAME   BIRDS  131 

Pacific.  It  breeds  in  small  numbers  at  several  points 
in  the  Coast  Range  between  Santa  Cruz  and  San  Diego, 
laying  its  two  white  eggs  on  the  ground  near  the  bank 
of  a  pond  or  river  in  some  localities.  In  other  places 
it  prefers  to  construct  a  shallow  platform  of  twigs  in  a 
tree  or  bush.  Incubation  lasts  from  fourteen  to  sixteen 
days.  In  shape  the  newly  hatched  young  are  like  minia- 
ture geese,  and  their  yellow  skin  is  covered  with  the 
sparse,  cottony,  white  down.  They  are  fed  on  a  thin 
milky  fluid,  by  regurgitation,  for  twenty  days.  The 
adult  deserts  its  nest,  eggs,  or  young  on  the  slightest 
provocation  ;  it  is  exceedingly  timid,  so  that  any  attempt 
to  study  its  nesting  habits,  should  one  be  so  fortunate  as 
to  discover  a  nest,  would  prove  disastrous  to  the  brood, 
unless  very  cautiously  done.  They  are  said  to  have  no 
breeding  season  in  California,  but  to  raise  their  young 
during  any  month  except  December.  From  April  to 
September  is  their  usual  time.  Deep  in  the  recesses  of 
a  canon  you  may  come  upon  a  company  of  these  gre- 
garious birds  in  the  tree-tops.  Unless  you  see  the  bird, 
you  will  fancy  you  have  discovered  a  new  owl,  so  hoot- 
Jike  is  their  "  coo."  It  has  been  described  as  "  a  short, 
hard  hoot  and  a  long  coo."  In  the  large  aviary  on  the 
grounds  of  Mrs.  Sefton  at  San  Diego,  a  pair  of  these 
pigeons  taken  at  Bear  Valley  have  been  kept  some  time  ; 
their  note  has  become  modified,  I  presume  by  confine- 
ment with  other  birds,  for  it  is  much  less  expulsive  and 
more  purring  in  quality  than  when  heard  in  the  moun- 
tains. They  breed  in  the  aviary,  laying  their  eggs  on  the 
ground  behind  a  bush  in  one  corner  and  also  in  com- 


132  LAND  BIRDS 

partments  for  the  purpose,  like  domestic  pigeons.  The 
eggs  are  glistering  white,  equally  round  at  both  ends  and 
very  beautiful  to  look  at.  The  birds  themselves  are 
remarkably  handsome,  and  seen  coming  like  rockets 
through  the  air  down  the  side  of  the  mountain,  are 
startling  to  the  ear  as  well  as  to  the  eye.  The  noise  is 
produced  by  the  rapid  vibration  of  the  wings,  and  re- 
sembles the  roar  of  escaping  steam.  In  flying  upward 
or  on  a  level,  the  sound  is  less  loud  but  quite  as  char- 
acteristic, and,  when  a  large  flock  are  startled  into  flight, 
the  vibratory  effect  is  not  unlike  that  of  a  small  cyclone. 

316.   MOURNING'  DOVE.  — Zenaidura  macroura 
carolinensis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Pigeons,  or  Doves. 

Length:  11.00-13.00. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  soft  brownish  ;  head  and  neck  iridescent  gray- 
ish pink  ;  a  black  spot  on  sides  of  the  head  ;  sides  of  neck,  chest, 
and  breast  changeable  metallic  purple-pink,  changing  to  buff  on  the 
belly. 

Adult  Female:  Similar  to  male,  but  paler,  and  metallic  gloss  less 
distinct. 

Young:  Duller  than  female,  and  without  black  spot  on  the  head. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Temperate  North  America,  north  to  Canada, 
south  to  Panama. 

Breeding  Range:  Breeds  throughout  its  habitat. 

Breeding  Season :  March  to  October. 

Nest:  A  platform  of  sticks,  in  a  bush  or  tree. 

Eggs:  2 ;  white.     Size  LI 2  X  0.82. 

FOR  a  land  bird,  the  Mourning  Dove  is  strikingly  fond 
of  the  water  and  usually  tries  to  build  within  sight  of  it. 
At  intervals  all  day,  the  parent  birds  fly  back  and  forth 
between  it  and  their  nest,  if  brooding,  and  I  have  reason 
to  believe  that  the  male  brings  the  female  water  as  well 


UPLAND   GAME   BIRDS  133 

as  food  in  his  own  throat.     Both  adults  feed  their  young 

by  regurgitation  for  twenty  days,  and  undoubtedly  give 

them  water  in  the  same  way  until  they  learn  to  drink,  in 

true'  pigeon  fashion,  by  suction.      The  newly  hatched 

Mourning  Doves  are  unique  among  young  birds,  for  they 

are  daintily  formed  miniature  goslings 

with  goose  bill  and  all.     This  bill 

in  a  pearly  tip,  and  the  young  doves 

are    covered    with    short,    cottony, 

white  down,  through  which 

the  yellow  skin  is  ap- 

parent.      The 

mother  birds  are 

both  shy  and 

stupid,    for 

they   will  i  n- 

variably   betray   their   nest    by 

...  «.       i  •/•    ji  316.   MOURNING  DOVE. 

flying    off   when,    if    they    re-         » A PW™ <****.» 

mained  quiet,  it  might  not  be 

noticed.  I  know  of  no  birds  who  desert  their  eggs 
and  young  so  readily.  The  mother  bird  is  also  a  slack 
housekeeper,  and  so  loosely  is  the  nest  built  that  the 
eggs  may  nearly  always  be  seen  from  below.  In  two 
instances  Mr.  P.  W.  Smith,  of  Greenville,  Illinois,  found 
these  birds  occupying  old  robins'  nests,  and  once  he 
discovered  two  of  their  eggs  in  the  home  of  a  thrasher, 
which  also  contained  one  thrasher  egg. 

In  spite  of  these  well-authenticated  instances,  and  the 
fact  that  I  have  found  Mourning  Doves  brooding  their 
young  in  a  kingbird's  old  nest  thickly  lined  with  sheep's 


134  LAND  BIRDS 

wool,  I  believe  such  cases  are  uncommon ;  the  bird 
usually  builds  her  own  home,  and  returns  to  it  two  years 
in  succession,  if  not  molested. 


II.— BIRDS    OF    PREY 

324.   CALIFORNIA  VULTURE,   OR  CONDOR. 

Gymnogyps  californianus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Vultures. 

Length:  44.00-55.00  ;  extent  8£  feet  to  nearly  11  feet. 

Adults:    Head  and  neck  covered  with  a  warty  orange  skin  ;  bill  pale 

yellow ;   plumage   black  ;    wing-coverts   tipped    with   white  ;    under 

wing-coverts  pure  white. 

Young :  Like  adults,  but  naked  skin  and  bill  black  ;  more  or  less  cov- 
ered with  sooty  gray  down. 

Downy  Young :  Covered  with  white  cottony  down  ;  bill  yellow. 
Geographical  Distribution:    Coast  ranges   of  Southern    California  from 

Monterey  County  to  Mexico. 
Breeding  Range:   Breeds  in   the  mountainous  distiicts  throughout  its 

habitat. 

Breeding  Season  :  Eggs  have  been  taken  in  April  and  May. 
Nest:  The  bare  floor  of  a  cave  or  recess  among  the  rocks,  or  in  a  hollow 

stump. 
Eggs :    1    or    2 ;    plain   grayish   green   or  dull   greenish    white.      Size 

4.46  X  2.48. 

THE  California  Condor  is,  so  far  as  "known,  the  largest 
bird  that  flies,  except  its  cousin  the  Condor  of  the  Andes, 
and  was  formerly  abundant  throughout  the  coast  ranges 
of  Southern  California.  It  has  become  comparatively 
rare  through  various  causes,  chief  among  them  the  feed- 
ing upon  poisoned  flesh  put  out  by  stockmen  to  kill  wild 
animals.  For  a  long  time  the  species  was  on  the  verge 
of  extermination,  but  through  the  efforts  of  the  Cooper 


324.     CALIFORNIA  VULTURE,  OR  CONDOR 
Oymnogyps  californianus 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  135 

Club   it   has   been    protected,  and   according   to   latest 
reports  it  is  increasing  in  numbers. 

On  his  first  trip  to  California,  the  Eastern  bird-lover 
expects  to  see  these  birds  soaring  majestically  over  every 
mountain,  and  is  disappointed  when  he  has  remained  a 
year,  or  two,  or  three,  with  never  a  glimpse  of  one, 
although  right  in  the  Condor  range.  The  truth  is  the 
Condors  keep  well  back  in  the  hidden  and  inaccessible 
parts  of  the  mountains,  and  if  you  would  see  one,  you 
must  go  where  they  are  and  see  the  sun  rise,  —  as  they 
do ;  for  the  Condor  seeks  his  prey  as  soon  as  the  sunlight 
has  reached  the  valleys  and  before  the  world  is  fairly 
astir.  Then  you  may  see  him  on  glorious  wings,  circling, 
circling,  with  scarcely  a  movement  save  of  his  head, 
which,  stretched  out  before  him,  turns  this  way  and 
that.  He  is  magnificent  to  look  at,  —  nearly  eleven  feet 
from  tip  of  wing  to  tip  of  wing,  —  but  in  some  ways  he 
is  very  stupid.  All  vultures  are  stupid.  Although  so 
keen  of  vision  that  you  can  never  hope  to  conceal  your 
presence  from  him.  yet  he  will  betray  his  nest  and  make 
no  effort  to  lead  you  from  it  by  the  wise  feints  of  smaller 
birds.  Thus  in  the  animal  world  nature  compensates 
for  great  strength  and  ferocity  by  giving  the  quicker 
instincts  to  the  hunted,  not  to  the  hunters.  The  Condor's 
senses  are  keen  to  show  him  where  to  obtain  food,  and 
his  wings  are  strong ;  but,  in  danger  from  no  creature, 
he  has  not  been  trained  to  protect  himself.  He  gorges, 
is  satisfied,  and  sleeps  with  no  need  of  precaution  for 
self  or  young,  because,  unless  his  food  be  poisoned,  what 
has  he  to  fear  ?  The  young  Condor  reared  by  Mr. 


136  LAND   BIRDS 

Holmes  of  Berryessa  developed  some  remarkable  habits, 
but  I  believe  these  were  due  to  artificial  conditions. 

Solomon  puzzled  over  "  the  way  of  an  eagle  in  the 
air  "  and  left  the  mystery  unsolved,  and  bird-lovers  have 
been  studying  it  ever  since.  When  I  have  been  able  to 
watch  the  nesting  habits  of  the  Condor,  as  I  have  done 
those  of  some  more  accessible  birds,  I  may  recall  the 
epithet  "  stupid,"  for  in  the  training  of  their  young  some 
otherwise  dull  birds  show  wonderful  sagacity.  Whether 
sagacious  or  stupid,  the  Condor  is  one  of  the  glories  of 
a  glorious  State,  and  deserves  the  protection  of  all  loyal 
citizens. 

325.   TURKEY  VULTURE.  —  Cathartes  aura  septentrionalis. 
FAMILY  :  The  Vultures. 

Length:  26.00-32.00. 

Adults :  Head  covered  with  bare,  red,  warty  skin  ;  bill  white  ;  upper 
parts  iridescent  black  ;  under  parts  dull  black,  shafts  of  chills  and 
tail-feathers  dirty  white. 

Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  bill  blackish  and  naked  skin  of  head  and 
neck  livid  dusky. 

Downy  Young :  Covered  with  a  white  cottony  down,  naked  head  cov- 
ered with  a  sallow  skin. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Temperate  North  America. 

Breeding  Flange :  North  to  latitude  40°. 

Breeding  Season  :  April  1  to  June  15. 

Nest :  Frequently  built  in  a  tree,  or  a  slight  depression  under  a  ledge  or 
a  cliff. 

Eggs:  2 ;  greenish  buffy  or  white,  more  or  less  spotted  with  brown  and 
light  purple.  Size  2.73  X  1.87. 

Food:  Carrion. 

THE  Turkey  Vulture,  or  Turkey  Buzzard,  is  a  com- 
mon bird  East  and  West,  an  industrious  scavenger,  and 
a  self-appointed  "  Board  of  Health."  In  the  warmer 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  137 

portions  of  the  United  States  its  offices  are  necessary 
and  are  valued  greatly  by  the  farmers  and  ranchmen. 
Long  before  the  owner  has  missed  the  sheep  or  known 
that  it  is  dead,  the  quick  eye  of  the  Vulture  has  discov- 
ered the  carrion  and  he  has  called  his  family  to  the 
feast.  Unlike  most  birds  of  prey,  the  Vulture  feeds 
upon  the  ground  where  the  carcass  is  found,  and  for  this 
reason  his  foot  has  become  modified  for  walking  rather 
than  for  grasping.  He  is  usually  silent,  except  for 
hisses  and  guttural  growls,  uttered  when  feeding,  which 
remind  one  of  a  hyena.  Recent  successful  attempts 
have  been  made  to  prove  that  he  discovers  his  food  by 
the  sense  of  smell  as  well  as  by  keen  sight.  Carrion 
has  been  hidden  under  a  dense  growth  of  brush  where  it 
could  not  be  seen,  and  the  Vultures  have  found  it  quite 
as  readily  as  when  exposed  to  view. 

The  nesting  season  of  this  Vulture  in  California  begins 
about  April  15,  the  eggs  being  laid  in  a  depression  in 
the  ground  under  a  ledge,  or  on  a  steep  hillside,  or  in 
the  cavity  of  a  tall  stump,  or  in  a  tree.  The  young  are 
fed  by  regurgitation,  and  remain  in  the  nest  nine  weeks. 
Except  at  nesting  season,  this  Vulture  is  gregarious,  fly- 
ing and  feeding  in  company  and  roosting  in  great  num- 
bers in  favorite  groves.  On  the  wing  it  is  graceful  and 
impressive,  moving  in  great  circles  apparently  without 
effort  and  without  fatigue.  One  can  scarcely  look  up  to 
the  hills  without  seeing  it,  and  it  comes  to  be  as  much 
a  part  of  California  scenery  as  the  mountains  or  the  sea. 


138  LAND   BIRDS 

328.    WHITE-TAILED    KITE. — Elanus  leucurus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Length:  15.50-17.00. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  slate-color  ;  top  of  head  and  tail  white  ;  a  patch  of 

black  on  each  shoulder  and  around  each  eye  ;  under  parts  uniform 

pure  white. 
Young :   Similar  to   adults,  but  tinged  with  rusty,  and   more   or  less 

streaked  with  dark  gray  ;   wing-feathers  tipped  with  white  ;   under 

parts  streaked  with  yellow-brown  ;  tail  with  a  dusky  band. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Tropical  America  north  to  San  Francisco  on 

the  Pacific  coast  ;  on  the  Atlantic  coast  to  latitude  37°. 
Breeding  Range :  The  central  portions  of  California,  west  of  the  Sierra 

Nevada. 

Breeding  Season :  April  1  to  June  1. 
Nest:  Placed  high  in  a  tree  ;   a  platform  of  sticks,  lined  with  straw  and 

grasses. 
Eggs:   3  to  5  ;  dull  huffy  white,  spotted  and  tinged  with  chestnut  over 

the  entire  surface.     Size  1.72  X  1.30. 

THE  White-tailed  Kite  is  a  fairly  common  resident  of  the 
interior  valleys  of  California  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
north  to  Red  Bluff  and  south  as  far  as  Los  Angeles.  Its 
nest  is  always  placed  just  as  far  from  the  ground  as  pos- 
sible, in  a  sycamore  or  oak  or  maple  tree,  and  is  a 
loosely  constructed  platform  of  sticks,  occasionally  lined 
with  straw.  In  Santa  Clara  valley  the  birds  are  not  at 
all  uncommon  ;  they  nest  in  the  oak  groves  from  April  1 
to  May  1.  They  remain  paired  all  the  year,  and  may  be 
seen  hunting  together  over  the  fresh  and  salt  water 
marshes.  Mr.  W.  K.  Fisher  records  them  as  preying 
upon  the  field  mice  in  the  vicinity  of  San  Francisco  Bay. 
They  are  common  at  Alviso  in  the  early  morning,  hover- 
ing, over  the  marshes,  as  kingfishers  do  over  water,  be- 
fore plunging  downward  for  a  strike.  Graceful  and  easy 


BIRDS   OF   PREY 


139 


on  the  wing,  they  have  a  steadiness  of  flight  unlike  the 
bullet-like  dash  of  some  of  the  hawks,  and  more  closely 
resembling  the  flight  of  the  gulls. 
Their  call  is  a  high-keyed  whistle, 
which  falls  three  tones  in  a  plaintive 
minor  key.  Besides  this,  they  utter  a 
sharp,  short  squeak  when  darting  down 
to  seize  their  prey.  Aside  from  the  fact 
of  his  beauty  and  grace,  the  food  of 
the  White-tail  is  such  as  to  -^ 

render  him  beneficial  to  farmers, 
and  he  should  be  protected  by 
law  fully  as  much  as  the  game 
and  song  birds.     Lizards,  frogs, 
snakes,  grasshoppers,  and 
beetles    are    his    bill  of  fore,  and 
these  he  consumes  in  great  num- 
bers.    Small  birds  do  not  fear 
him  as  they  do  the  bird-eating 
species,  and  this  alone  is  proof  that  he  does  not  molest 
them. 


328.    WHITE-TAILED  KITE. 
"  Preying  upon  the  field  mice." 


331.    MARSH    HAWK.  —  Circus  hudsonius. 
FAMILY  :  The  Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Length:  19.50-24.00. 

Adult  Male :   Slate-color  streaked  with  white ;  under  parts  and  rump 

pure  white  ;  breast  and  sides  lightly  speckled  with  reddish  brown  ; 

tail  with  alternate  bands  of  brown  and  black,  six  or  seven  in  number  ; 

tips  of  wings  black. 

Adult  Female,  and  Young :  Rusty,  more  or  less  streaked  with  black. 
Downy  Young :   Rusty  buff  above,  more  or  less  washed  with  gray,  and 

merging  to  whitish  on  lower  parts. 


140  LAND   BIRDS 

Geographical  Distribution:    North   America   from   southern   border  of 

Alaska,  south  in  winter  from  latitude  40°  to  Cuba. 
Breeding  Range:    In  California  breeds  on  the  interior  marshes  as  far 

south  as  San  Diego  and  north  to  Oregon. 
Breeding  Season:  April,  May,  and  June. 
Nest:  On  the  ground,  among  the  marsh  grass  ;  made  of  grass  and  sticks, 

and  lined  with  leathers. 
Eggs:  4  to  6;  dull  bluish  white,  sometimes  spotted  with  light  and  dark 

brown.     Size  1.80  X  1.38. 


To  most  bird-lovers  the  sight  of  an  old  gray  Marsh 
Hawk  soaring  gracefully  over  the  broad  stretch  of  wet 
meadows  in  the  early  spring  suggests  but  one  thing,  — 
an  immediate  tramp  in  his  direction.  All  sorts  of  fasci- 
nating things  are  hiding  in  that  grass,  and  who  knows  it 
so  well  as  he  ?  A  sudden  swoop  downward,  a  slow, 
circling  rise,  with  a  small  dark  object  in  those  strong 
claws,  and  an  alighting  on  the  nearest  tree  to  dine. 
What  is  the  menu?  Perhaps  a  pretty  field  mouse  that, 
unconscious  of  the  sharp  eyes  overhead,  ran  through  his 
burrow  ;  or  a  gopher,  or  possibly  a  lizard.  He  has  little 
choice  between  these  and  frogs,  snakes,  young  ground- 
squirrels,  and  insects.  In  that  he  never  molests  the 
chicken  yard  but  rids  the  meadow  of  insects  and  small 
animals,  he  is  the  protege  of  the  intelligent  farmer.  A 
few  there  are  to  whom  a  hawk  is  simply  a  hawk,  to  be 
destroyed  without  mercy  or  discrimination,  but  such  per- 
sons become  fewer  every  year  as  the  economic  value  of 
certain  varieties  of  these  birds  becomes  better  known. 

In  a  clump  of  stiff  marsh  grass  or  a  bunch  of  weeds, 
you  may  find  the  nest  of  this  "  soft-winged  still-hunter." 
It  is  simply  a  thick  mat  of  coarse  sticks  and  straw,  lined 
slightly  with  feathers,  and  usually  measuring  about  thir- 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  141 

teen  to  fifteen  inches  at  its  largest  diameter.  In  it  are 
laid  four  or  five  dull  light-green  eggs,  either  plain  or 
sparsely  spotted  with  brown.  Here  the  adults  brood  by 
turns,  the  free  one  bringing  food  in  its  claws  and  drop- 
ping it  from  the  air  to  its  mate  on  the  nest  below,  as  if 
by  accident ;  for  these  handsome  Hawks  are  wise  and 
very,  very  wary.  I  have  seen  them  bring  sticks  for  nest- 
ing materials  and  drop  them  in  the  same  way  to  the 
other  bird  in  the  grass.  You  will  rarely  discover  the 
nest  by  seeing  them  alight  near  it.  When  the  time  for 
a  change  of  labor  has  come,  one  of  the  birds  circles  over 
and  over,  without  dropping  food,  and  finally  alights  in  a 
tree,  if  there  be  one  there.  Before  you  know  it  another 
Hawk,  his  counterpart  except  for  size,  is  circling  in  his 
place  while  he  still  sits  in  the  tree.  By  and  by  he  is 
gone  from  the  tree,  but  in  most  instances  you  have  not 
seen  him  go,  you  have  been  so  intently  watching  the 
gyrations  of  his  mate  in  the  air. 

In  eighteen  to  twenty  days  the  young  Hawks  break 
their  hard  shells,  one  each  day,  and  cuddle  down  among 
the  feathers  and  straw  of  the  crude  nest.  From  the  day 
the  first  little  ball  of  down  appears,  one  or  the  other 
of  the  adults  may  be  seen  constantly  on  the  wing  over  that 
meadow.  The  same  tactics  are  pursued  as  before,  for 
the  food  is  dropped  to  the  parent  on  the  nest,  who,  after 
the  first  few  days,  holds  it  fast  in  her  beak  while  the 
nestlings  tear  off  bits  from  it  for  themselves.'  In  this 
way  the  muscles  of  bill  and  neck  are  developed.  Later 
on  the  food  is  simply  dropped  to  them,  both  parents 
being  off  on  the  hunt,  and  the  little  fellows  grasp  it  in 


14,2  LAND   BIRDS 

their  sharp  claws  and  tear  from  it  with  a  right  good-will. 
It  is  comparatively  easy,  with  a  large  amount  of  patience, 
a  good  blind,  and  a  field  glass,  to  watch  the  brood  de- 
velop day  by  day ;  for  although  so  wild,  the  Marsh 
Hawks  will  not  desert  their  nestlings,  and  if  you  can  so 
arrange  as  to  be  inconspicuous  they  have  little  fear  of 
you. 

332  (part).  WESTERN   SHARP-SHINNED   HAWK. 

Accipiter  velox  pacificus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  10.00-11.50  ;  female  12.50-14.00. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  slate-color;  under  parts  white,  heavily  barred 

and  spotted   with  chestnut;    tail  with  three  or  four  narrow  black 

bands  and  a  white  tip. 

Adult  Female:  Similar,  but  with  markings  less  pronounced. 
Young :  Dusky  brown  above,  buffy  below,  striped  with  brown  or  dusky. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Western  United  States,  south  in  winter  to 

southern  Mexico. 

Breeding  Season  :  April,  May,  and  June. 

Breeding  Mange :  Throughout  the  United  States  and  north  to  Alaska. 
Nest:  Of  small  sticks,  lined  with  fibre  of  leaves,  placed  from  10  feet  to 

60  feet  high  in  a  tree. 
Eggs:  4  or  5;  dull  greenish  white  or  grayish  green,  irregularly  marked 

with  browji.     Size  1.46  X  1.20. 

EQUALLY  at  home  in  the  dense  shadows  of  the  forest, 
on  the  treeless  plains,  or  on  the  pine-covered  mountain 
tops,  the  little  Sharp-shinned  Hawk  requires  but  two 
things,  —  plenty  of  food  and  good  water.  Alas,  that 
the  food  should  preferably  be  small  song  birds !  He  is 
a  dainty  eater,  also,  stripping  all  feathers  from  his  victim 
and  refusing  to  swallow  a  bit  of  fur  or  a  bone.  This  is 
the  only  good  thing  which  can  be  said  of  him,  for  a  bird 
more  baleful  to  other  feathered  creatures,  large  and 
small,  can  nowhere  be  found.  All  laws  protecting  native 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  143 

birds  should  offer  a  bounty  on  his  head  and  that  of  his 
relatives,  the  big  Cooper  hawk  and  the  goshawk.  For- 
tunately the  last  two  are  not  numerous  in  the  Land  of 
Sunshine. 

The  Sharp-shinned  is  a  fierce  defender  of  his  home  in 
the  top  of  a  pine  or  spruce.  And  this  nest  he  has  very 
likely  seized  by  force  from  its  owners,  the  magpies  or 
squirrels  or  crows ;  for  might  is  always  right  in  the  forest 
world,  and  whatever  this  brigand  wants  he  takes.  His 
nestlings  receive  such  constant  care  and  strong  food  that, 
by  the  time  they  are  feathered  and  ready  to  leave  the 
nest,  they  are  noticeably  larger  than  the  parents.  It  is 
worth  while  to  note,  also,  that  the  female  is  larger  and 
fiercer  than  the  male,  consequently  more  rapacious.  The 
note  of  the  Sharp-shinned  is  in  accord  with  his  nature,  a 
high-keyed  shrill  whistle  or  shriek,  and  is  uttered  when 
in  triumph  he  dashes  into  a  terrorized  flock  of  small 
birds  or  down  into  a  barnyard  full  of  poultry.  For  he 
is  no  coward,  and  will  attack  a  hen  many  times  his  own 
weight  even  though  she  be  surrounded  by  her  kin.  As 
one  writer  says  of  him,  "  He  is  the  boldest  fellow  for  his 
inches  that  wears  feathers."  Certainly  he  is  the  most 
destructive  desperado,  without  fear  and  without  mercy. 

333.    COOPER   HAWK.  —  Accipiter  cooperi. 

FAMILY  :  The  Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  14.00-17.00  ;  female  18.00-20.00. 

Adult  Male:   Upper  parts  slate-color,  top  of  head  black;   under  parts 

white,  heavily  barred  with  chestnut ;  tail  rounded  at  end,  barred  with 

black,  and  tipped  with  white. 
Adult  Female :  Upper  parts  duller,  top  of  head  rusty  black. 


144  LAND  BIRDS 

Young:  Upper  parts  dark  brown  ;  under  parts  streaked,  not  barred. 

Downy  Young :  Uniform  pure  white. 

Geographical  Distribution:  The  entire  United  States  and  southern  British 

Provinces,  south  in  winter  to  Mexico. 
Breeding  Range:  Throughout  California. 
Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 

Nest:  Usually  in  high  trees  ;  often  a  remodelled  crow's  nest. 
Eggs:  4  or  5  ;  pale  greenish  white,  plain  or  dimly  marked  with  light 

brown.     Size  1.97  X  1.42. 

LIKE  the  sharp-shinned,  the  Cooper  Hawk  is  the  bane 
alike  of  the  farmer  and  the  bird-lover.  He  is  known 
throughout  the  United  States  by  the  name  of  Chicken 
Hawk,  and  so  daring  is  he  that  he  will  come  down  into 
the  farmyard  for  poultry  in  the  face  of  the  farmer. 
There  are  several  records  of  weasels  that  have  been 
seized  by  this  hawk,  sucking  its  blood  at  the  throat  and 
causing  its  death.  One  skeleton  specimen  was  found 
with  the  teeth  of  the  weasel  so  locked  in  the  bone  of  the 
hawk  that  it  could  not  be  removed.  But  unfortunately, 
although  chickens,  weasels,  snakes,  lizards,  and  small 
quadrupeds  are  doubtless  upon  his  bill  of  fare,  song  birds 
are  too  often  his  victims,  and  the  ornithologist  who  is 
patiently  studying  the  development  of  some  rare  brood 
has  good  cause  to  dislike  him. 

The  nest  of  the  Cooper  Hawk  is  placed  in  tall  trees, 
and  being  added  to  and  occupied  year  after  year,  it  be- 
comes an  exceedingly  bulky  structure.  April  to  May  is 
the  usual  date,  in  California,  at  which  nesting  begins, 
and  incubation  lasts  thirty-one  days.  The  young  remain 
in  the  nest  six  to  eight  weeks,  and  are  fed  upon  the 
small  live  mammals,  never  upon  dead  flesh.  Small  won- 
der they  learn  to  pounce  upon  and  tear  anything  that 
moves  in  the  grass  or  among  the  trees. 


BIRDS  OF   PREY  145 

355.    PRAIRIE    FALCON.—  Falco  mexicanus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc.- 

Length:  Male  17.00-18.00  ;  female  18.50-20.00. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  light  yellow-brown  ;  indistinctly  barred  with 

buffy  on  the  head  and  neck,  and  with  slate-color  on  lower  back  and 

tail ;  sides  of  the  head  with  dark  patches  ;  under  parts  and  nuchal 

collar  white  ;    belly  lightly   streaked   or  spotted  with  dusky,   and 

flanks  heavily  spotted  with  same. 
Adult  Female:    Upper  parts  same  as  male,  but  duller;   palest  toward 

the  tail  ;  tail  tipped  with  white  on  the  outer  edges  of  the  feathers. 
Young:    Upper  parts   grayish   brown;    under  parts  grayish  butf  with 

broad  dusky  streaks. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Western  United   States  from  the  plains  to 

the   Pacific. 

Breeding  Range  :  Throughout  the  United  States. 
Breeding  Season :  May. 
Nest:  Of  sticks,  with  a  lining  of  grasses  ;  usually  on  cliffs,  sometimes  in 

cavities  in  trees,  always  in  inaccessible  places. 
Eggs:  2  to  5  ;  deep  cream-buff,  covered  with  fine  specks  of  cinnamon, 

rufous,  and  light  chestnut.     Size  2.10  X  1.64. 

ALTHOUGH  not  a  large  hawk  and  apparently  built  for 
swift  flight  rather  than  for  strength,  the  trim  Prairie  Fal- 
con has  the  courage  of  an  eagle  and  does  not  hesitate  to 
attack  prey  of  twice  its  own  weight.  Poultry  it  seizes 
only  when  other  food  is  scarce,  but  a  good-sized  jack- 
rabbit  is  often  a  victim,  and  is  carried  to  the  nearest  low 
perch  to  be  devoured ;  —  this  by  a  bird  the  size  of  the 
American  crow,  but  with  sinews  of  steel  and  a  heart  that 
absolutely  knows  no  fear.  With  an  audacity  worthy  of 
a  better  cause  it  pursues  rnarsh  hawks,  compelling  them 
to  relinquish  the  fish  they  have  caught  ;  and  not  even 
the  bald  eagle  can  strike  such  terror  to  a  flock  of  grouse. 
Their  eyrie  is  a  crevice  or  ledge  on  the  perpendicular 
face  of  a  cliff  where  none  but  the  most  daring  can 
10 


146 


LAND  BIRDS 


climb.  Of  one  such  exploit  Mr. 
ard  writes  in  "  The  Con- 
1902,  as  follows: 

"April   18,  I   secured 
dred  feet  of  inch-and- 
rope,    and    we    again 
way  to  the  cliff.     On 
top   of  the   ridge   we 
way  down  to  the  edge 
where   a  bunch  of  oak 
growing.     We   tied   the 
and  I  slid  down  it  thirty 
projection.    I  was  then 
the    nesting    cavity     ) 
hung    considerably, 
side  was  a  crevice  in 
rope   over   a   point 
down  it,  which  I 
nest.       It     was 
I  made  my  way 
I  held  the  rope 
points  of  rock 


using  my  feet 
my    hand- 
enough    to 
and  some- 
the  cavity 
four  feet 
the  solid 
a    few 


0.  W.  How- 
dor,"  May, 


one  hun- 
a-quarter 
made  our 
reaching  the 
made  our 
of  the  cliff 
trees  were 
rope  to  oaks, 
feet  to  a  shelf-like 
standing  just  above 
where  the  cliff  over- 
About  four  feet  to  one 
the  rock,  and  by  jerking  the 
above  me  I  could  let  myself 
did  to  a  point  opposite  the 
rather  a  risky  undertaking  as 
along  the  face  of  the  cliff,  and 
in  one  hand  and  the  sharp 
in  the  other,  at  the  same  time 
to  steady  myself.  By  keeping 
hold  I  could  lean  over  just  far 
see  that  the  nest  contained  eggs, 
how  managed  to  squeeze  into 
head  first.  The  nest  was  about 
from  the  entrance  in  a  depression  in 
rock,  with  no  nesting  material  except 
feathers  of  the  old  bird  and  small 


355.    PRAIRIE  FALCON. 

"Not  even  the  bald  eagle 
can  strike  such  terror  to  a 
flock  of  qrouse" 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  147 

bones  and  hair  of  the  smaller  quadrupeds  ;  also  a  number 
of  pellets  ejected  by  the  old  birds.  I  am  certain  that 
both  birds  occupy  the  nesting  cavity  at  night,  for  there 
was  a  depression  in  the  end  of  the  cavity  which  showed 
signs  of  being  occupied  by  one  of  the  birds. 

"  The  nest  contained  five  eggs,  rather  light  in  color  for 
this  species.  They  have  a  yellowish  brown  appearance, 
the  color  being  almost  solid  but  darker  about  the  larger 
ends." 

It  is  a  matter  of  regret  that  Mr.  Howard  gives  us  no 
record  of  how  the  adults  conducted  themselves  during 
the  time  they  were  being  robbed  ;  also,  that  he  did  not 
make  a  study  of  the  feeding  and  nesting  habits  of  the 
birds  with  regard  to  incubation  and  care  of  the  young, 
as  this  is  a  field  open  for  just  such  daring  observers  and 
one  where  good  work  is  needed. 


337  b.    WESTERN   RED-TAILED   HAWK.  —  Buteo 
borealis  calurus. 

FAMILY:  The  Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  19.00-22.50  ;  female  23.00-25.00. 

Adults:  Varying  from  light  grayish  brown  to  uniform  dark  sooty  brown  ; 
under  parts  white  or  buffy,  with  broad  brown  streaks  on  throat,  belly, 
and  sides ;  tail  bright  reddish  brown  in  any  phase,  crossed  by  one  or 
more  black  bars.  In  the  dark  extreme  the  entire  plumage  except  the 
red  tail  is  a  dark  sooty  brown. 

Young:  Darker  throughout,  and  more  heavily  spotted;  tail  grayish 
brown,  barred  with  black  bands. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  North  America,  east  to  Rocky 
Mountains,  south  to  Mexico. 

Breeding  Range  :  Almost  throughout  the  State  of  California. 

Breeding  Season :  March,  April,  and  May. 


148  LAND   BIRDS 

Nest:  Of  sticks;  lined  with  roots  or  fibre,  placed  in  trees  or  ledges  of 

cliffs  from  25  to  50  feet  high. 
Eggs :   2  or  3  ;    dull  whitish,  plain  or  marked  with  shades  of  brown. 

Size  2.36  X  1.80. 

THE  Western  Red-tail  is  common,  though  not  very 
abundant,  throughout  the  wooded  mountainous  districts 
of  the  central  portion  of  the  State.  On  the  road  from 
Tallac  to  Lake  Valley  several  were  seen,  and  one  nest 
was  found  in  a  coniferous  tree  thirty  feet  from  the 
ground.  The  climber  sent  up  to  investigate  shouted 
back  that  there  were  four  young  nearly  ready  to  fly. 
Being  told  to  bring  one  down,  he  picked  one  out  of  the 
nest,  but  it  bit  his  finger,  and  angrily  he  hurled  it  out 
into  the  air.  Fluttering,  turning  over  and  over,  down  it 
came ;  but  the  fall  did  not  hurt  it  much,  and  as  soon  as 
it  could  catch  its  breath  it  fought  like  a  little  fury.  It 
was  a  handsome  bird,  nearly  feathered,  and  in  a  week 
more  would  have  flown  of  its  own  accord.  It  fluttered 
about  on  the  grass,  and  after  resting  a  time  managed  to 
scramble  into  a  low  bush,  where  it  felt  more  secure 
though  it  was  really  much  more  exposed.  In  the  mean- 
time the  adults  had  circled  wildly  about  with  discordant 
screams,  and  the  mother  still  remained  near.  Curious  to 
see  how  she  would  manage  to  get  that  unlucky  young- 
ster back  into  his  nest,  we  moved  off  fifty  yards  and 
watched  through  the  glasses.  Both  parents  swooped 
down  and  looked  at  him,  from  on  the  wing,  again  and 
again,  screaming  when  away,  but  silent  whenever  near 
him  or  the  nest.  At  length  a  more  sudden  swoop  and 
a  momentary  flutter,  as  a  butterfly  flutters  over  a  flower. 
Then  she  rose  carefully  and  slowly,  with  the  young  in 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  149 

her  claws,  and  carried  him  to  the  nest.  It  was  impos- 
sible to  see  whether  she  was  holding  him  between  them 
or  grasping  him  by  them.  Five  days  later  the  nest  was 
deserted  and  the  young  hawks  were  nowhere  to  be 
found.  The  adults  still  appeared  in  the  vicinity,  but  the 
young  were  safely  hidden  from  prying  eyes  in  the  heavy 
foliage. 

339  b.    RED-BELLIED    HAWK. — Buteo  lineatus  elegans. 

FAMILY  :  The  Falcons,,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  17.00-19.00  ;  female  18.50-21.00. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  dark  brown,  streaked  with  buffy  or  white  ;  shoulders 
bright  red-brown  ;  under  parts  chestnut,  barred  with  white  on  belly 
and  sides  ;  wings  and  tail  barred  with  white. 

Young  :  Under  parts  dusky  ;  wing-quills  spotted  with  buffy. 

Downy  Young :  Dull  grayish  white. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  of  the  United  States,  south  to 
Mexico,  east  to  Texas. 

Breeding  Range:  In  California,  chiefly  in  the  interior  valleys  from  lati- 
tude 33°  to  41°. 

Nest :  Of  twigs ;  lined  with  vegetable  fibre,  feathers,  and  leaves  ;  on 
limbs  of  trees,  usually  in  the  neighborhood  of  water. 

Eggs :  2  to  5  ;  grayish  white,  marked  with  brown  and  lilac.  Size 
2.40  X  1.77. 

THIS  is  the  Western  race  of  the  red-shouldered  hawk. 
It  is  one  that  should  receive  all  protection  from  the  law. 
Mr.  Lyman  Beldings  records  a  pair  that  for  three  sea- 
sons nested  near  a  poultry  yard,  and  whose  post  mortem 
proved  their  food  to  have  been  exclusively  lizards,  tree- 
frogs,  and  insects.  Mrs.  Bailey  says  that  their  food  is 
"  sometimes  small  birds,"  but  this  is  doubtless  in  treeless 
regions,  where  their  favorite  food  is  less  easily  obtained. 
In  most  parts  of  California  where  they  breed,  the  records 


150  LAND  BIRDS 

show  them  to  have  eschewed  everything  with  feathers, 
and  to  have  dined  upon  small  snakes,  lizards,  frogs,  in- 
sects, and  crawfish.  Fur  and  feathers  are  caught  only 
as  a  last  resort,  when  there  are  hungry  young  in  the 
nest. 

The  Red-bellied  Hawk  is  exceptionally  fond  of  bath- 
ing, and  in  California  it  usually  builds  within  a  hun- 
dred yards  of  water.  Both  adults  indulge  in  a  daily 
bath,  returning  to  the  same  place  at  about  the  same  hour 
for  it.  The  nest  is  placed  in  a  tree  or  giant  cactus ;  it 
is  composed  of  twigs  with  leaves  and  usually  lined  with 
leaves  and  feathers.  This  hawk  utters  a  shrill,  high 
scream  when  molested,  but  does  not  offer  to  fight  unless 
the  intruder  be  a  bird  or  snake.  Incubation  lasts  thirty- 
one  days. 

342.    SWAINSON    HAWK.  —  Buteo  swainsoni. 
FAMILY  :  The  Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  12.50-20.00  ;  female  21.00-22.00. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  dark  grayish  brown  ;  forehead,  chin,  throat, 
and  under  parts  white,  except  a  sharply  defined  reddish  brown  chest 
band ;  belly  often  barred  or  spotted  with  brownish  ;  tail  a  brownish 
gray,  crossed  by  9  or  10  narrow  dusky  bands. 

Adult  Female:  Similar  to  male,  but  chest  band  grayish  brown  instead 
of  reddish  brown. 

Melanistic  Phase:  Both  sexes  uniform  rusty  black;  many  gradations 
are  found  between  this  black  phase  and  the  normal  plumage. 

Young :  Tail  as  in  adult ;  upper  parts  sooty  brown,  varied  with  yellow- 
brown  ;  under  parts  and  head  streaked  brown  and  black. 

Geographical  Distribution:  From  the  arctic  regions  to  South  America, 
from  the  Pacific  to  the  Eastern  States. 

California  Breeding  Range :  San  Joaquiu  and  Sacramento  valleys,  and 
the  San  Diegan  district. 

Breeding  Season :  May. 


BIRDS   OF   PREY 


151 


Nest :  Made  of  sticks,  sagebrush,  and  leaves  ;  lined  with  green  leaves 
and  plant  fibre  ;  from  20  to  50  feet  high  in  trees,  sometimes  in  bushes, 
sometimes  on  the  ground,  sometimes  on  ledges  of  rocky  cliffs. 

Eggs:  1  to  4  ;  pale  greenish  huffy,  lightly  spotted  with  shades  of  brown. 
Size  2.21  X  1.70. 

THROUGHOUT  the  interior  valleys  of  California,  Swain- 
son's  Hawk  is  a  common  spring  and  summer  visitant, 


and  one    whose  full   value 
known    as    it    should    be. 
ground    squirrels,   insects, 
hoppers  are  its  sole  diet  in 
trict,  and  no  one  can  com- 
pute the  benefit  that  accrues 
to  the  farmer   from  the  breed- 
ing of  these  hawks  on  or  near 


js   not    yet    so   well 
Pocket  gophers, 
and  grass- 
tins  dis- 


their  land.  Par-  ,,,-% 
ticularly  is  this 
true  of  a  sandy 
barren  soil 
where  gopher 
burrows  are 
numerous.  Dozens  of  the 
hawks  fly  down  to  the  go- 
pher colony,  just  at  dusk, 
and  take  up  their  stand  at 
the  entrances  of  the  bur- 
rows, where  they  wait  patiently  and  silently  until  the  prey 
appears.  It  never  escapes  them.  If  there  are  young  hawks 
in  the  nest,  the  victim  will  be  carried  to  them ;  if  not,  it 
will  usually  be  eaten  at  the  perch  nearest  to  the  hunting 
ground.  In  either  case,  back  comes  the  hawk  for  a 


342.    SWAINSON  HAWK. 
Wail  silently  until  the  prey  appe 


152  LAND   BIRDS 

second  and  a  third  course  in  surprisingly  few  minutes. 
Anyone  who  cares  to  watch  will  probably  find  that  sixty 
gophers  to  each  dozen  hawks  each  day,  besides  countless 
insects  and  grasshoppers,  is  a  fair  estimate.  Small  birds 
they  do  not  harm.  If  any  proof  of  this  were  needed,  the 
song  birds  themselves  furnish  it  every  season  by  building 
their  nests  fearlessly  in  the  same  tree,  and  not  seldom 
within  ten  inches  of  that  of  the  hawk.  Arkansas  king- 
birds, shrikes,  and  bullock  orioles  have  all  been  found,  by 
Captain  Bendire,  rearing  their  young  close  to  the  young 
hawks,  and  a  veritably  happy  family  they  are. 

The  hawk's  nest  is  large  and  slovenly,  a  mere  platform 
of  sticks,  placed  indiscriminately  in  a  low  bush  or  a  tall 
tree,  and  lined  with  green  leaves  and  corn  husks. 
Equally  indifferent  is  he  as  to  the  location  ;  for  he  is 
content  on  a  grassy  prairie  where  there  are  few  trees,  or 
in  the  timbered  districts.  The  only  requirements  for  his 
home  seem  to  be  food  and  water,  — the  last  for  bathing 
as  well  as  drinking,  for,  like  all  birds  of  prey,  Swain- 
son's  Hawk  is  an  enthusiastic  splasher.  Early  every 
morning  he  flies  down  to  his  favorite  pond  or  stream,  and 
sends  a  shower  of  sparkling  drops  in  every  direction. 
It  is  a  very  wet,  bedraggled-looking  bird  that,  a  few 
moments  later,  flies  up  to  a  sunny  perch  to  shake  him- 
self and  preen  his  feathers. 

His  hunting  is  mostly  done  on  the  ground ;  after  his 
young  are  fledged,  you  may  see  them  jumping  with  raised 
wings  through  the  grass  in  brisk  pursuit  of  crickets  and 
grasshoppers.  This  they  learn  to  do  by  imitating  the  par- 
ent, and  it  is  probably  their  first  lesson  in  pursuing  prey. 


BIRDS    OF   PREY  153 

In  the  nest,  they  are  fed  upon  small  mammals  and,  even 
before  their  down  has  changed  to  feathers,  they  will  tear 
their  food  with  all  the  ferocity  of  a  young  puppy. 

The  adults  arrive  from  the  South  about  the  middle  of 
March  ;  by  the  middle  of  April  they  have  constructed 
their  nest  and  are  brooding  their  two  or  three  eggs. 
Incubation  requires  twenty  to  twenty-two  days,  and  the 
young  remain  in  the  nest  from  four  to  five  weeks.  One 
authority  says  eight,  but  this  is  a  longer  time  than  any 
of  my  own  records  show,  and  is,  I  believe,  unusual. 

In  flight,  swainsoni  seems  a  trifle  clumsy  as  he  rises 
from  the  ground  with  a  good-sized  gopher  in  his  claws ; 
but,  as  he  swings  into  full  headway,  you  realize  that,  like 
all  his  family,  he  is  both  swift  and  graceful  on  the  wing. 

348.    FERRUGINOUS    ROUGH-LEG.  —  Archibuteo 
ferrugineus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  22.50  ;  female  24.00. 

Adults,  Normal  Phase:   Upper  parts  and  flanks  bright  rufous;   under 

parts  white,  lightly  streaked  with   brown  ;   tail  white,  tinged  with 

rufous  and  sometimes  banded  with  dark. 
Adult,  Melanistic  Phase :  Upper  parts  dark  brown  marked  with  rusty; 

under  parts  dull  rufous. 
Young:   Upper   parts  grayish  brown,   feathers  edged  with  rusty;    tail 

white  at  upper  third  ;  rest  brownish,  banded  with  dark. 
Geographical  Distribution :  From  Dakota  and  Texas  to  Pacific. 
Breeding  Range:  In  California,  the  interior,  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 

from  Sacramento  to  San  Diego. 
Breeding  Season:  April  and  May. 
Nest :  Of  sticks  ;  lined  with  leaves,  grass,  and  rootlets. 
Eggs:  2  to  5 ;  greenish  buffy,  marked  with  shades  of  brown  and  purple. 

Size  2.43  X  1.91. 

THIS  species  is  variously  known  as  "Rough-legged 
Buzzard,"  "  California  Squirrel-Hawk,"  or  "  Prairie 


154  LAND   BIRDS 

Eagle."  It  frequents  the  prairies  and  desert  plains,  and, 
unlike  others  of  its  family,  cares  little  to  be  near  water. 
Its  food  is  small  mammals  and  reptiles,  seldom  birds,  and 
it  is  one  of  the  few  species  that  the  law  should  protect. 
In  hunting,  it  flies  low  over  the  fields,  carrying  its  food 
to  a  low  perch  to  devour  at  its  leisure.  Late  in  the 
afternoon  it  may  be  seen  circling  gracefully  high  in 
tlie  air;  at  such  times  it  appeal's  not  unlike  the 
golden  eagle,  which  doubtless  accounts  for  its  nickname, 
Prairie  Eagle.  It  makes  no  attempt  to  defend  its  nest 
when  molested  by  men,  but  flies  away  with  scarcely  a 
protest. 

Incubation  is  complete  in  twenty-eight  days,  the  young 
remaining  in  the  nest  six  to  eight  weeks.  This  difference 
in  time  is  the  difference  between  a  cold  and  a  warm 
climate,  the  young  of  the  former  maturing  less  rapidly. 


349.    GOLDEN    EAGLE.  —  Aquila  chrysdetos. 
FAMILY  :  The  Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  30.00-35.00  ;  female  35.00-40.00. 

Adults :  Entire  plumage  dark  brown  ;  the  lanceolate  feathers  of  high 
neck  and  the  feathers  of  tarsus  golden  brown  ;  tail  blackish,  irregu- 
larly barred  with  dark  gray. 

Young :  Similar  to  adult,  but  upper  half  of  the  tail  plain  white. 

Downy  Young:  Grayish  white,  grayer  beneath. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Northern  portions  of  the  northern  hemi- 
sphere, chiefly  in  mountainous  regions. 

Breeding  Range:  Throughout  its  habitat,  the  mountainous  regions  of 
California. 

Breeding  Season :  February,  March,  and  April. 

Nest :  Bulky,  sometimes  4  feet  deep  and  5  feet  in  diameter ;  of  sticks, 
lined  with  straw,  leaves,  hair,  or  feathers ;  usually  placed  in  trees  on 
a  steep  mountain  side. 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  155 

Eggs:  2  or  3  :  whitish,  marked  with  heavy  blotches,  spots,  and  specks 
of  brown,  lilac,  and  gray,  most  abundant  at  the  longer  end.  Size 
2.96  X  2.27. 

THE  Golden  Eagle  is  by  no  means  a  rare  bird  in  Cal- 
ifornia. He  breeds  in  the  mountains  of  Santa  Cruz 
County  and  at  many  other  localities  throughout  the 
•State.  Fortunately,  the  nest  is  usually  placed  in  such 
an  inaccessible  location  as  seldom  to  fall  a  victim  to 
collectors.  It  is  a  large  structure,  nearly  five  feet  in 
diameter  and  several  feet  deep,  lined  with  stubble,  grass, 
and  leafy  twigs,  and  placed  in  the  top  of  a  sycamore, 
pine,  or  oak,  overhanging  a  rocky  canon.  The  two  eggs 
vary  from  unmarked  white  to  heavily  marked  with  red, 
brown,  and  purple.  Three  and  a  half  weeks  are  required 
for  incubation,  and  the  young  remain  in  the  nest  nearly 
six  weeks  after  they  are  hatched,  so  that,  although  the 
eggs  may  be  laid  in  March,  the  first  of  June  often  finds 
young  in  the  nest.  A  pair  whose  record  I  have,  began 
sitting  March  26,  and  the  young  were  newly  hatched 
April  22.  On  June  14  they  were  still  in  the  nest,  but 
June  16  both  had  left.  This  nest  was  in  a  live-oak  on 
the  crest  of  a  ridge  in  Santa  Clara  County,  and  had  been 
built  new  that  year.  Rabbits,  grouse,  and  many  small 
quadrupeds  were  carried  to  the  nest,  as  well  as  several 
good-sized  snakes.  I  saw  no  lambs,  fawns,  or  fish,  but 
several  times  the  male  brought  what  looked  to  be  young 
foxes  or  coyotes.  Meal-time  came  twice  or  three  times 
a  day,  never  oftener.  This  pair  hunted  together,  leaving 
the  young  unguarded  hour  after  hour,  but  I  believe  they 
were  always  kept  in  range  of  the  mother's  keen  eye, 
however  far  away  she  seemed  to  be.  Early  in  the  morn- 


156  LAND   BIRDS 

ing  both  plunged  into  the  brook  for  a  bath,  and  emerged 
with  every  feather  limp  and  dripping,  to  shake  violently 
and  preen  for  half  an  hour.  Then  the  plumage  shone 
with  a  tinge  of  tawny-gold  in  the  sunlight,  and  the 
glorious  bird  seemed  worthy  his  name. 


352.    BALD    EAGLE.  —  Haliceetus  leucocephalus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  30.00-35.00  ;  female  34.00-43.00  ;  extent  7  feet. 

Adults :  Head,  neck,  rump,  and  tail  white ;  rest  of  plumage  sooty 
brown. 

Young :  First  year,  black  ;  second  and  third  years,  mixed  black  and 
white,  gray  and  brown  ;  head  and  neck  black. 

Downy  Young:  Uniform  sooty  gray. 

Geographical  Distribution :  United  States  and  Mexico. 

California,  Breeding  Range:  Among  the  Santa  Barbara  Islands  and 
locally  along  the  coast. 

Breeding  Season :  December  to  April. 

Nest :  Very  bulky  ;  made  of  sticks  and  lined  with  rootlets,  or  rock 
moss  ;  in  trees  from  20  to  90  feet  up,  or  on  cliffs.  Same  nest  is  occu- 
pied year  after  year. 

Eggs:  2  ;  ivory  white,  unmarked  except  by  nest  stain.     Size  2.51  X  1-94. 

" '  HERE  he  is  again.  Here 's  Old  White-head  robbing 
the  fish  hawk.'  I  started  from  the  fire  and  ran  out  to 
look.  The  hawk  had  risen  from  the  lake  with  a  big 
fish,  and  was  doing  his  best  to  get  away  to  his  nest, 
where  his  young  ones  were  clamoring.  Over  him  soared 
the  eagle,  still  as  fate,  and  as  sure,  now  dropping  to 
flap  a  wing  in  his  face  or  touch  him  gently  with  his 
great  talons,  as  if  to  say,  '  Do  you  feel  that  ?  If  I  grip 
once,  it  will  be  the  end  of  you  and  your  fish  together. 
Better  drop  him  peacefully;  you  cau  catch  another. 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  157 

Drop  him,  I  say  ! '  Up  to  that  moment  the  eagle  had 
merely  bothered  the  big  hawk's  flight  with  a  gentle 
reminder  that  he  wanted  the  fish,  which  he  could  not 
catch  himself.  Now  there  was  a  change,  a  flash  of  the 
kingly  temper.  With  a  roar  of  wings  he  whirled  round 
the  hawk  like  a  tempest.  But  the  hawk  knew  when  to 
stop.  With  a  cry  of  rage  he  dropped  his  fish.  On  the 
instant  the  eagle  whirled  and  bent  his  head  sharply.  I 
had  seen  him  fold  wings  and  drop  before,  and  had  held 
my  breath  at  the  speed.  But  dropping  was  of  no  use 
now,  for  the  fish  fell  faster.  Instead,  he  swooped  down- 
ward, adding  to  the  weight  of  his  fall  the  push  of  his 
strong  wings,  and  glancing  down  like  a  bolt  to  catch 
the  fish  ere  it  struck  the  water,  then  rising  again  in  a 
great  curve  —  up  and  away,  steadily,  evenly,  as  the  king 
should  fly,  to  his  own  little  ones  far  away  on  the  moun- 
tain. .  .  .  One  day,  when  I  came  to  the  little  thicket  on 
the  cliff  where  I  used  to  lie  and  watch  the  nest  through 
my  glass,  I  found  that  one  of  the  young  eaglets  was  gone. 
The  other  stood  on  the  edge  of  the  nest,  looking  down 
fearfully  into  the  abyss  whither,  no  doubt,  his  bolder 
nest-mate  had  flown,  and  calling  disconsolately  from  time 
to  time.  His  whole  attitude  showed  plainly  that  he  was 
hungry,  cross,  and  lonesome.  Presently  the  mother 
eagle  came  swiftly  up  from  the  valley,  and  there  was 
food  in  her  talons.  She  came  to  the  edge  of  the  nest, 
hovered  over  it  a  moment,  so  as  to  give  the  hungry  eaglet 
a  sight  and  smell  of  food,  then  went  slowly  down  to  the 
valley  taking  the  food  with  her,  telling  the  little  one  in 
her  own  way  to  come  and  he  should  have  it.  He 


158  LAND   BIRDS 

called  after  her  loudly  and  spread  his  wings  a  dozen 
times  to  follow.  But  the  plunge  was  too  awful;  he 
settled  back  in  the  nest,  pulled  his  head  down  into  his 
shoulders,  shut  his  eyes,  and  tried  to  forget  he  was 
hungry.  The  meaning  was  plain  enough.  She  was  try- 
ing to  teach  him  to  fly,  but  he  was  afraid." 1 

356.    DUCK    HAWK.  —  Falco  peregrinus  anatum. 
FAMILY  :  The  Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  15.50-18.00;  female  18.00-20.00. 

Adults:  Top  of  head  sooty  black,  sides  of  head  and  neck  blackish,  in 

sharp   contrast   to   white  throat  ;    rest   of   upper  parts   slate-color  ; 

lighter  on  the  rump,  dimly  barred  with  blackish  ;  under  parts  except 

throat  and  breast  deep  buff,  spotted  or  barred  with  blackish  ;   tail 

black,  barred  with  light  gray  and  tipped  with  white. 
Young :   Upper  parts  blackish,  feathers  edged  with  rusty ;  under  parts 

chestnut,  heavily  streaked  with  dark. 
Geographical   Distribution :   America,   south  to   Chili.     In   California, 

occurs  coastwise. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Breeds  locally  in  the  mountainous  regions 

as  far  south  as  latitude  36°. 
Breeding  Season :  March  and  April. 
Nest :  On  a  narrow  edge  of  a  cliff ;  a  few  cticks  to  keep  the  eggs  from 

rolling  off. 
Eggs :  3  or  4  ;  creamy,  tinged  with  brown,  spotted  and  blotched  with 

shades  of  brown.     Size  2.10  X  1.68. 

"  THIS  species,"  says  Mr.  F.  M.  Chapman,  "  is  the 
noble  peregrine  of  falconry.  It  would  be  difficult  to 
imagine  a  bird  more  highly  endowed  with  the  qualities 
which  make  the  ideal  bird  of  prey.  Its  strength  of  wing 
and  talon  is  equalled  by  its  courage.  No  bird  flies  more 
swiftly  than  the  Duck  Hawk.  Even  teal,  those  winged 
bullets,  cannot  escape  it.  No  bird  is  more  daring.  I 

i  W.  J.  Long  in  "School  of  the  Woods." 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  159 

have  had  Duck  Hawks  dart  down  to  rob  me  of  wounded 
snipe  lying  almost  at  my  feet,  nor  did  my  ineffectual 
shots  prevent  them  from  returning." 

There  is  little  to  be  said  in  favor  of  this  relentless 
persecutor  of  water-fowl,  shore  birds,  and  song  birds. 
Solitary  in  habit  except  at  the  breeding  season,  it  fears 
no  bird  of  its  kind  except  the  marsh  hawk  and  the  prairie 
falcon.  These  two  wage  unceasing  warfare  on  it  when 
it  becomes  conspicuous  about  their  hunting  grounds, 
which  it  never  does  willingly.  Its  nest  is  made  on  an 
inaccessible  cliff,  or  in  a  high  tree  away  from  all  its  kind. 
From  the  hour  they  emerge  from  the  shell,  the  young  are 
taught  to  devour  anything  in  feathers  brought  to  them  ; 
and  when  they  hunt  for  themselves,  feathered  game  is  the 
only  food  they  know.  When  the  first  wave  of  migration 
starts  southward  in  the  fall,  the  Duck  Hawks  are  close 
behind,  easily  overtaking  any  stragglers  or  weak  ones, 
and,  if  necessary,  pursuing  the  swift,  strong  fliers  of 
twice  their  size  and  weight.  So  every  flock  of  coastwise 
migrating  birds,  particularly  those  classed  as  water-fowl, 
lias  one  or  more  of  these  fierce  birds  of  prey  in  its  wake, 
and  its  numbers  are  constantly  decimated  to  furnish  food 
for  its  pursuers. 

357.    PIGEON    HAWK.  —  Falco  columbaria. 

FAMILY  :  The  Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Ler^gth:  Male  10.00-11.00  ;  female  12.50-13.25. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  slate-color,  streaked  with  black;  wing-quills 
black,  inner  web  spotted  ;  under  parts  and  hind-neck  buffy,  nearly 
white  on  throat  ;  streaked  on  breast,  sides,  and  belly  with  dark  ; 
middle  tail-feathers  barred  with  blackish  and  light  gray. 


160  LAND  BIRDS 

Adult  Female :  Top  and  sides  of  the  head  streaked  black  and  brown  ; 

back,  wing,  and  tail  brownish  ;  under  parts  whitish  or  buffy. 
Young :  Like  female,  but  darker ;  tail  brown,  with  three  or  four  white 


Geographical  Distribution :  Whole  of  North  America,  chiefly  north  of  the 
United  States  ;  south  in  winter  to  Northern  South  America. 

Breeding  Range :  From  Mackenzie  River  region  down  to  Washington 
and  Oregon. 

Breeding  Season :  May. 

Nest :  On  ledges  of  cliffs  or  in  hollow  trees  ;  made  of  sticks  or  grass,  and 
lined  with  feathers. 

Eggs:  4  or  5  ;  ground  color  cinnamon,  covered  with  large  indistinct 
rust-colored  blotches.  Size  1.59  X  1.24. 

THE  Pigeon  Hawk  is  one  of  the  trimmest  and  hand- 
somest of  its  family,  and  is  tolerated  in  spite  of  its  bird- 
eating  habits.  It  is  not  at  all  shy,  and  may  be  seen 
feeding  in  the  open  country  or  on  the  edge  of  timber 
land  or  along  the  shores.  Its  food  consists  of  small 
birds,  pigeons,  flickers,  blackbirds,  orioles,  mice,  and 
gophers.  Like  the  duck  hawk,  it  follows  birds  in  mi- 
gration to  eat  stragglers.  Its  favorite  victims  are  gallina- 
ceous birds,  but  it  also  devours  many  of  our  familiar 
friends  among  the  song  birds.  This  may  be  one  cause 
for  the  habit  of  migrating  at  night. 

It  nests  largely  north  of  latitude  40°,  and  in  Northern 
California  it  begins  to  build  early  in  April.  The  nest  is 
only  a  rude  platform  of  sticks,  scantily  lined  with  feath- 
ers, and  placed  in  the  crevices  of  a  cliff,  or  in  a  hollow 
tree,  or  high  among  branches  of  trees ;  one  observer  has 
found  it  occupying  a  space  between  the  rafters  of  a  de- 
serted miner's  cabin.  It  is  most  common  throughout 
California  in  the  winter  months,  when  it  comes  into  the 
interior  valleys  from  the  colder  districts  and  remains 
until  the  early  spring. 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  161 

360  a    DESERT  SPARROW  HAWK.  —  Cerchneis  sparveria 
phalcena. 

FAMILY  :  The  Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  9.00-11.00  ;  female  10.00-12.50. 

Adults:   Top  of  head  pale  grayish  brown,  usually  with  rufous  crown- 

patch  ;   back  light  reddish  brown,  with  or  without  black  spots  ;  wings 

all  grayish  brown  ;  tail  reddish  brown,  with  dark  band  ;  under  parts 

whitish  to  buff,  with  or  without  brownish  spots. 
Young  :  Similar  to  adults,  but  colors  more  blended. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Western  United  States  and  British  Columbia, 

south  to  Guatemala. 

Breeding  Range:   Wherever  resident  throughout  the  State  of  California. 
Breeding  Season :  April. 
Nest:  In  holes,  usually  in  dead  trees. 
Eggs:  2  to  5  ;  white,  marked  with  shades  of  brown.     Size  1.36  X  1.12. 

NEXT  to  the  marsh  hawk,  the  handsome  little  Sparrow 
Hawk  is  the  one  oftenest  met  with  in  California.  From 
his  lookout  on  a  dead  tree  at  the  edge  of  the  meadow, 
he  watches  for  his  prey.  A  slight  movement  in  the 
grass,  and  out  he  flies,  poises  over  the  spot  like  a  king- 
fisher over  the  water  or  a  humming-bird  at  a  flower 
tube,  then  swiftly  he  drops  with  feet  extended,  strikes 
the  moving  object,  and  rises  with  it  in  his  talons.  If  he 
has  neither  mate  nor  young  in  the  nest,  he  carries  the 
tidbit  to  his  dead-tree  perch  and  eats  it  himself.  But 
when  his  home,  in  an  old  stump  near  by,  is  filled  with 
hungry  nestlings,  he  flies  directly  to  it  with  every  morsel 
he  picks  up.  Sometimes  it  is  a  field  mouse,  sometimes 
grasshoppers,  lizards,  or  frogs,  and  sometimes,  alas ! 
small  birds. 

Although  so  small,  he  has  the  courage  of  his  race,  and 
often  captures  prey  at  least  twice  his  own  weight,  man- 
n 


162  LAND   BIRDS 

aging  in  some  way  to  convey  it  to  a  perch  before  eating. 
Of  man  he  has  little  fear,  building  his  nest  in  a  tree  near 
to  human  habitation,  and  paying  little  attention  to  any- 
thing but  his  own  hunting. 

His  call  is  a  sharp,  high  "  killy-killy-killy,"  uttered  as 
he  flies  over  his  prey,  and  has  given  him  the  nickname  of 
"  Killy  Hawk."  He  is  also  called  "  Mouse  Hawk  "  in 
some  sections,  from  his  habit  of  preying  upon  field  mice. 

Early  in  April  the  Sparrow  Hawk  looks  about  for  a 
place  in  which  to  set  up  housekeeping.  Sometimes  it  is 
an  old  magpie's  nest  that  pleases  him  best,  sometimes 
a  kingfisher's  hole  in  the  bank  of  a  river,  sometimes 
a  snug  crevice  in  a  wall  of  rock,  but  usually  he  chooses 
the  deserted  excavation  of  a  woodpecker,  or  a  natural 
cavity  in  a  sycamore  tree.  No  nest  is  made,  but  on  the 
unlined  surface  of  the  cavity  the  four  or  five  speckled 
eggs  are  laid.  Incubation  lasts  twenty-three  to  twenty- 
six  days,  and  the  young  remain  six  weeks  in  the  nest. 

For  the  first  week  the  nestlings  are  fed  exclusively  on 
insects  ;  after  that,  insects  predominate  in  the  nursery 
menu,  although  mice  are  brought  several  times  a  day. 
After  leaving  the  nest  they  are  fed  in  the  tree,  for  a 
week  or  so,  before  they  try  to  hunt  for  themselves.  The 
first  lesson  is  very  interesting  to  watch.  One  of  the 
adults  brings  a  bit  of  food  to  the  youngster,  who  is  sit- 
ting on  the  perch  where  for  several  days  he  has  been 
fed,  and  instead  of  giving  it  to  him,  lets  it  fall  in  full 
view,  at  the  same  time  calling  "  killy-killy-killy."  In 
nearly  every  case  the  young  hawk  springs  after  it  with- 
out hesitation  the  first  time  this  is  tried,  and  he  often 


BIRDS  OF   PREY  163 

gets  it.  The  mother  is  beside,  over,  and  under  him  as 
he  drops  for  it,  encouraging  him  with  her  calls,  and  he 
soon  responds  with  a  little  cry  of  unmistakable  triumph. 
But  he  is  not  allowed  to  eat  it  on  the  ground,  as  he 
would  like  to  do.  An  imperative  call  from  the  adult 
makes  the  young  hunter  exert  his  strength  and  follow  to 
the  nearest  low  perch  before  he  tastes  it.  You  watch  and 
wonder  at  the  instinct  that  prompts  such  skilful  training, 
and  the  longer  you  watch  the  more  there  is  to  see. 


364.   FISH  HAWK,  OR  AMERICAN  OSPREY.—  Pandion 
haliaetus  carolinensis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Falcons,  Hawks,  Eagles,  etc. 

Length:  20.75-25.00. 

Adult  Male:  Head,  neck,  and  under  parts  white;  a  broad  black  line 
from  bill  through  eye  ;  top  of  head,  and  nape  sometimes  streaked  with 
blackish  ;  a  few  light  brown  spots  on  the  breast ;  back  of  wings  and 
tail  dark  gray-brown,  the  latter  banded  with  black  and  tipped  with 
white. 

Adult  Female :  Similar,  but  upper  breast  distinctly  spotted  with  brown. 

Young :  Upper  parts  dusky  brown,  each  feather  tipped  with  white  or 
buffy  ;  rest  of  plumage  like  that  of  adults. 

Downy  Young :  Dull  sooty  grayish  above,  with  broad  white  stripe  down 
the  middle  of  the  back,  and  a  dark  stripe  on  the  sides  of  the  head  ; 
crown  striped  white  and  dark  ;  under  parts  whitish,  washed  with 
brown  on  the  chest. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Temperate  and  tropical  America,  north  to 
Hudson  Bay  and  Alaska. 

Breeding  Range  :  Santa  Barbara  Islands,  and  locally  along  the  entire  sea- 
coast  and  on  some  of  the  inland  lakes. 

Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 

Nest .  Bulky  ;  of  sticks  ;  on  trees  near  water. 

Eggs:  2  to  4  ;  buffy  white  or  deep  buff,  spotted  with  shades  of  brown 
and  purplish  gray.  Size  2.44  X  1.81. 

WHEREVER  there  are  fish  there  are  pretty  sure  to  be 
fishermen  and  Fish  Hawks.     Right  good  comrades  are 


164  LAND   BIRDS 

these  two,  neither  one  grudging  the  other  his  fine  catch, 
and  the  more  skilful  the  fishing  the  greater  the  admira- 
tion for  the  fisher,  be  he  man  or  bird.  On  bold,  free 
wings  the  Osprey  comes  swinging  over  the  lake  in  the 
cool  of  the  morning,  and  his  clear  whistle  gives  you 
"Good  hunting"  before  he  fairly  conies  into  sight. 
Down  he  dives  with  wings  folded.  There  is  a  splash  of 
silver  spray  and  he  rises  triumphant,  with  a  fish  held 
lengthwise  in  his  talons,  and  flies  swiftly  back  to  his 
nest.  It  is  quite  likely  to  be  in  that  tall  tree  across  the 
lake  that  has  been  his  home  for  years.  It  is  said  that 
each  fall,  before  leaving  it,  he  carefully  repairs  it  with 
fresh  sticks,  so  that  spring  finds  it  ready  for  him.  To 
make  it  in  the  first  place  was  an  arduous  task,  for  it  is 
a  bulky  platform  of  strong  sticks,  surmounted  and  inter- 
woven with  smaller  ones  and  carefully  lined  with  leaves, 
moss,  or  soft  vegetable  fibre.  Now  the  Osprey  never 
alights  on  the  ground  when  it  is  possible  to  avoid  doing 
so ;  his  method  of  obtaining  these  sticks  is  similar,  though 
on  a  larger  scale,  to  that  by  which  the  little  chimney- 
swift  gets  his,  —  that  is,  by  breaking  them  from  the  tree. 
But  the  Osprey  does  this  with  his  feet,  while  the  swift 
uses  his  bill.  The  former  swoops  down  upon  a  dead 
twig  with  such  force  as  to  snap  it  off,  sometimes  with 
a  loud  crack,  and  flies  with  it  to  the  chosen  nesting-site. 
Some  of  these  twigs  are  four  feet  long,  and  several  efforts 
are  necessary  to  break  them.  If  he  has  the  misfortune 
to  drop  one  en  route,  he  will  not  pick  it  up  again,  but 
with  renewed  energy  will  break  off  another.  Hundreds 
of  these  twigs  must  be  brought  to  fashion  his  strong  nest, 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  165 

and  it  is  small  wonder  he  uses  it  year  after  year.  As 
in  the  building  of  a  home,  so  in  the  choice  of  a  mate, 
the  Osprey  acts  once  for  all ;  the  pair  remain  together 
throughout  the  years,  together  making  the  long  trip 
south,  as  do  the  loons.  When  the  leaves  on  the  trees 
are  the  size  of  a  mouse's  ear,  the  Fish  Hawk  lays  her 
three  characteristic  eggs  and  begins  to  brood.  In  a 
little  more  than  two  weeks  downy  nestlings  stretch  up 
their  pretty  heads  for  food,  and  both  parents  are  kept 
busy  supplying  the  demand.  Small  fish  are  carried  con- 
stantly to  the  nest,  the  heads,  bones,  and  fins  being 
thrown  to  the  ground  and  the  soft  parts  given  to  the 
young.  As  the  young  emerge  from  the  downy  state  to 
the  dignity  of  feathers,  they  begin  to  sit  up  cautiously  on 
the  edge  of  the  nest  arid  call  with  short,  sharp,  impatient 
whistles  for  their  food.  This  the  parent  answers  with 
a  clear,  cheery  whistle,  as  he  rises  from  the  water,  and 
when  he  nears  the  nest  the  calls  of  both  grow  very  quick 
and  excited.  It  is  a  charming  bit  of  home  life,  well 
worth  some  discomfort  to  watch. 

When  the  young  are  fully  feathered  and  strong,  —  at 
about  four  weeks  old,  —  their  training  in  fishing  begins. 
They  are  taken  to  the  water  and,  by  repeated  trials,  learn 
to  dive  and  strike  their  fish.  Sometimes  it  is  learned  the 
first  day,  and  sometimes  several  lessons  must  be  given, 
but  the  end  is  the  same,  —  the  nestling  is  forced  to  catcli 
his  own  dinner,  or  go  hungry. 

Among  the  twigs  of  the  large  nest  small  birds  fre- 
quently make  their  home  unmolested.  I  have  known 
wrens  to  do  this,  and  there  are  other  well-authenticated 


166  LAND  BIRDS 

records  of  purple  grackle,  jays,  and  tree  swallows  nesting 
beneath  the  bulky  platform,  thus  attesting  their  faith  in 
the  friendly  attitude  of  their  carnivorous  neighbor. 

365.    AMERICAN   BARN   OWL.—  Aluco pratincola 
FAMILY  :  The  Barn  Owls. 

Length:  18.00. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  mottled  gray  and  tawny,  finely  streaked  with  black 

and  white ;  face  white  to  light  brown  ;  under  parts  white  to  tawny, 

with  triangular  spots  of  black  or  dark  brown  ;  wings  and  tail  tawny, 

barred  with  black. 

Geographical  Distribution:  United  States  generally,  south  to  Mexico. 
California  Breeding  Range:  Suitable  localities  in  the  latitude  of  the 

State  of  Sonora,  in  the  northwest  of  Mexico. 
Breeding  Season  :  April  1  to  June  30. 
Nest:  In  holes  in  the  ground,  holes  in  river  banks,  hollow  trees,  old 

crow's  nests,  barns,  belfry  towers,  .etc.     The  nests  are  scantily  made, 

with  a  few  sticks,  straw,  bones,  and  other  refuse. 
Eggs :  5  to  8  ;  plain,  dead  white.     Size  1.72  X  1.35. 

WHEN  the  sun  sinks  behind  the  oak  trees  and  the 
shadows  creep  over  the  valleys,  the  Barn  Owl  hurries  to 
the  nearest  meadow  or  marsh  land  on  a  hunting  trip.  If 
it  has  young  at  home  in  the  nest,  its  flight  will  be  swift 
and  noiseless,  as  it  crosses  the  intervening  fields  at  short 
intervals,  carrying  mice,  gophers,  and  ground  squirrels. 
Nine  mice  form  a  meal  for  the  brood,  and  sixteen  mice 
have  been  carried  to  the  nest  in  twenty-five  minutes, 
besides  three  gophers,  a  squirrel,  and  a  good-sized  rat. 

Early  in  April  the  Barn  Owl  begins  its  nesting,  laying 
one  white  egg  every  other  day  until  there  are  from  five 
to  ten  or  eleven  hidden  in  an  old  crow's  nest,  or  in  a 
hollow  tree,  or  even  in  a  hole  in  a  bank.  The  cares  of 
incubation  are  shared  by  both  birds,  and  last  from  three 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  167 

to  three  and  a  half  weeks.  Mr.  Bendire  says  it  is  not 
unusual  for  the  last  eggs  to  hatch  two  weeks  after  the 
first.  The  young  owls  are  covered  with  a  whitish  gray 
or  brown  cottony  down,  and  have  the  hooked  bill  and 
talons  of  the  adults.  They  stay  in  the  nest  until  seven 
weeks  old.  At  four  weeks  old,  a  young  Barn  Owl  will 
tear  a  gopher  as  fiercely  as  an  adult,  swallowing  it  fur 
and  all.  The  noise  of  a  family  of  these  hungry  young 
birds  in  a  tree  can  be  compared  to  nothing,  for  it  is  like 
nothing  else.  As  soon  as  they  discover,  by  some  occult 
sense,  that  the  adult  is  on  the  way  home  with  supper,  the 
hissing  and  shrieking  begin,  and  are  kept  up  all  night 
long. 

When  the  nestlings  are  seven  or  eight  weeks  old,  the 
first  lesson  in  hunting  is  given  early  in  the  evening,  and 
the  young  owls  flit  about  with  the  adults  on  noiseless 
wings  like  roly-poly  bats. 

They  soon  learn  to  imitate  the  ludicrous  attitude  of 
the  parent  as,  bolt  upright,  with  half-closed  eyelids,  it 
blinks  at  the  daylight,  looking  as  wise  as  a  sage  and  as 
comical  as  a  monkey. 

Except  in  the  breeding  season  these  owls  are  gre- 
garious, and  an  old  belfry  is  often  the  home  of  from  ten 
to  twenty  inhabitants.  Besides  its  screech,  the  Barn 
Owl  has  a  nasal  snore. 


168  LAND   BIRDS 

366.   AMERICAN   LONG-EARED   OWL.  —  Asio 
wilsonianus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Horned  Owls  and  Hoot  Owls. 

Length:  14.80. 

Adults :  Conspicuous  brown  ear-tufts  an  inch  or  more  in  length  ;  face 
tawny  ;  upper  parts  mottled  tawny,  black,  and  ashy  ;  wings  and 
tail  barred  ;  under  parts  mottled  buffy  and  white,  the  breast  broadly 
streaked,  the  sides  and  belly  irregularly  barred  with  brown  ;  flanks 
tawny  unspotted. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Temperate  North  America. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Suitable  localities  in  the  interior  valleys. 

breeding  Season:  In  California,  from  February  15  to  May  15. 

Nest :  Occasionally  an  old  magpie's  nest  ;  sometimes  in  hollow  trees, 
cavities  in  rocks,  old  crow's  or  hawk's  nests. 

Eggs:  3  to  6  ;  white.     Size  1.62  X  1.32. 

THE  American  Long-eared  Owl  breeds  in  the  interior 
valleys  and  foot-hills,  haunting  the  lower  range  of  co- 
niferous timber.  Unlike  the  short-eared  owl,  it  never 
hunts  in  the  daytime  ;  it  is  rarely  found  in  the  open,  but 
hides  through  the  sunny  hours  in  the  shade  of  the  thick 
woods. 

It  is  not  shy,  and  trusts  to  protective  coloring  rather 
than  to  flight.  When  discovered,  "  it  sits  upright,  draws 
the  feathers  close  to  the  body,  and  erects  the  ear-tufts, 
resembling  in  appearance  a  piece  of  weather-beaten  bark 
more  than  a  bird."  In  flight  it  is  swift  and  noiseless, 
and  flits  about  on  moonlight  nights  like  a  huge  black 
shadow.  It  has  a  habit  of  always  flying  to  the  same  tree 
to  devour  its  food,  of  taking  a  nap  afterwards,  and  on 
awakening,  of  ejecting  the  undigested  portions  of  food  in 
little  wads,  which  may  be  found  in  heaps  under  the  tree. 
This  is  a  curious  performance ;  the  bird  yawns  once  or 


BIRDS  OF   PREY  169 

twice,  and  then  shakes  its  head  violently  sidewise  till  the 
pellet  is  dislodged  from  its  throat. 

During  the  nesting  season  the  male  bird  is  exceedingly 
devoted  to  his  mate,  frequently  occupying  the  nest  with 
her  or  sitting  on  a  branch  of  the  same  tree  in  close  prox- 
imity. The  incubation  requires  three  weeks  ;  the  young 
stay  in  the  nest  about  five  weeks  and  afterwards  hide  in 
the  trees,  not  catching  their  own  food  until  eight  or  nine 
weeks  old. 

Major ,  Bendire  describes  the  nest  of  a  pair  of  these 
owls  less  than  two  feet  above  an  excavation  occupied  by 
a  family  of  flickers.  The  owls  were  late  in  nesting,  it 
being  a  second  or  third  brood,  and  the  families  were 
reared  at  the  same  time,  neither  apparently  paying  any 
attention  to  the  other.  As  the  young  of  these  owls  keep 
up  a  constant  calling  for  food  all  night  long,  this  brood 
doubtless  disturbed  the  slumbers  of  the  young  flickers. 
Their  note  is  a  low,  not  unmusical,  whistling  call,  but 
during  the  breeding  season  they  hoot  like  screech  owls. 

367.  SHORT-EARED    OWL.  —  Asio flammeus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Horned  Owls  and  Hoot  Owls. 

Length:  15.50. 

Adults:  Ear-tufts  conspicuous  ;  a  blackening  around  the  eye,  and  con- 
spicuous white  eyebrow  ;  plumage  tawny  to  buff,  heavily  streaked 
with  dark  brown  ;  wings  and  tail  broadly  and  irregularly  barred  with 
dark  brown  and  tawny. 

Young:  Above  dark  brown  ;  under  parts  grayish  buffy  ;  face  brownish 
black. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  hemisphere  ;  common  winter  visit- 
ant in  California,  some  remaining  through  the  summer. 

Breeding  Range:  In  California,  breeds  sparingly  on  certain  coast 
marshes. 


170  LAND  BIRDS 

Breeding  Season:  March  15  to  May  15. 

Nest :  A  few  sticks  ;  lined  with  grasses  and  feathers ;   placed  on  the 

ground  in  the  long  grass  of  the  meadow,  or  at  the  foot  of  a  bush,  or 

beside  a  log,  or  in  a  rabbit  burrow. 
Eggs:  4  to  6  ;  white.     Size  1.56  X  1.19. 

THE  habits  of  the  Short-eared  Owl  differ  so  greatly 
from  those  of  the  rest  of  its  family  that  it  is  sometimes 
called  the  Marsh  Owl.  It  is  rarely  seen  in  a  tree,  and 
never  in  the  dense  woods.  On  bright  days  it  sits  con- 
cealed in  the  long  grass  of  a  marsh ;  but  at  dusk  or  in 
cloudy  weather  it  can  be  found  hunting  its  food  over  the 
low,  wet  meadows.  In  California  it  breeds  on  the  coast 
marshes  and  islands,  making  its  nest  on  the  ground  and 
lining  it  with  feathers  from  its  own  body.  Incubation 
lasts  nearly  four  weeks. 

The  young  are  more  fully  feathered  when  hatched  than 
most  young  owls.  They  soon  flutter  about  in  the  grass 
with  their  parents,  sitting  patiently  beside  a  marsh  rat's 
run,  or  chasing  grasshoppers  with  awkward  fluttering 
hops.  The  adult,  although  it  usually  flies  low  over  the 
marshes,  may  be  seen  during  the  breeding  season  flying 
quite  high  in  the  air  and  uttering  a  shrill,  high,  yelp- 
ing call. 

The  food  of  these  owls  consists  mostly  of  mice  and 
quadrupeds,  but  they  are  very  fond  of  terns,  which  they 
pursue  through  the  open,  and  which,  being  the  better 
fliers,  usually  make  good  their  escape.  They  are  emi- 
nently gregarious,  remaining  in  flocks  and  colonies  of 
several  hundred. 


BIRDS  OF   PREY  171 


373  c.  CALIFORNIA   SCREECH   OWL.  —  Otus  asio 
bendirei. 

FAMILY  :  The  Horned  Owls  and  Hoot  Owls. 

Length:  10.00. 

Adults :  Ear-tufts  conspicuous,  about  an  inch  in  length  ;  upper  parts 
brownish  gray,  heavily  streaked  with  black  or  dusky;  under  parts 
grayish,  with  heavy  streaks  and  indistinct  cross  lines  of  black. 

Young:  Plumage  barred  grayish  and  whitish. 

Downy  Young :  Covered  with  a  pure  white  cottony  down. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Throughout  California. 

Breeding  Range :  In  wooded  districts  throughout  the  State. 

Breeding  Season :  March  to  June. 

Nest :  A  cavity  in  a  tree,  usually  oak  or  cottonwood. 

Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  white.     Size  1.40  X  1.17. 

THIS  bird  may  be  known  by  its  small  size  and  con- 
spicuous ear-tufts.  It  breeds  commonly  throughout 
California.  On  June  15  one  was  seen  going  into  a 
red-shafted  flicker  excavation,  eighteen  feet  from  the 
ground,  in  an  old  stump  near  Santa  Cruz.  An  investi- 
gation showed  five  eggs,  three  of  which  were  the  flicker's. 
The  Owl  had  evidently  driven  off  the  flicker  and  taken 
possession  of  the  nest,  and  was  brooding  all  the  eggs 
indiscriminately.  Curious  to  know  how  it  would  come 
out,  I  hired  a  boy  to  watch  it.  On  June  17  the  flicker 
eggs  evidently  had  hatched,  for  every  trace  of  their  con- 
tents had  disappeared,  but  the  Owl's  eggs  were  still  there. 
Seven  days  later  they  hatched,  and  two  funny  Owlets 
thickly  covered  with  white  down  were  the  result.  In 
order  to  look  at  them  it  was  necessary  to  drive  the 
mother  from  the  cavity  by  rapping  on  the  tree  with  a 
heavy  rod,  and  even  then  she  would  not  readily  go.  All 


172  LAND  BIRDS 

the  feeding  of  the  young  was  done  at  night,  and  each 
morning  witnessed  a  fresh  heap  of  debris  under  the  nest- 
hole,  as  well  as  in  the  nest  itself.  This  habit  of  leaving 
all  the  remains  of  undigested  food  heaped  just  outside 
the  burrow  seems  to  me  particularly  stupid,  but  I  have 
found  it  the  case  with  burrowing  owls  also.  Most  birds 
are  careful  to  remove  all  trace  from  the  vicinity,  in  order 
not  to  betray  the  nesting  place,  as  well  as  for  cleanliness. 

The  parent  Owls  were  remarkably  silent  when  at  the 
nest  tree,  uttering  no  sound  beyond  an  occasional  odd 
chuck  when  one  arrived  with  food  for  the  young  before 
the  other  had  left  it.  After  careful  observation,  we 
decided  that  the  young  were  fed  upon  insects  at  first, 
and  afterwards  upon  mice.  The  adults  came  and  went 
every  half-hour  during  the  evening,  and  our  presence  so 
near  did  not  seem  to  bother  them  in  the  least.  One  of 
them  usually  sat  on  the  stump,  pending  the  absence  of 
the  other,  but  not  infrequently  both  left  at  the  same 
time.  The  young  Owls  remained  in  the  nest  tree  eight 
weeks,  and  then,  one  day,  were  seen  sitting  side  by  side 
among  the  thick  foliage  of  a  neighboring  oak. 

This  species  is  strictly  nocturnal  in  habits,  and  is  one 
of  the  most  important  aids  to  the  farmer  in  ridding  him 
of  mice  and  insects,  though  song  birds  and  sparrows  are 
also  among  its  victims.  Like  most  birds  of  prey,  it  is 
fond  of  bathing,  and  may  be  found  just  at  dusk  or  dawn 
in  a  quiet  corner  of  a  small  brook  or  pond,  splashing  and 
ducking  energetically  with  evident  enjoyment.  I  have 
watched  one  shake  himself  after  such  a  bath  until  his 
mandibles  rattled  like  castanets,  and  a  funnier  sight  I 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  173 

never  saw.  Then  every  feather  was  carefully  combed 
out  with  the  point  of  the  bill  until  it  felt  comfortable  and 
lay  well  in  its  place.  For  birds  so  untidy  in  the  care 
of  their  nest,  these  Owls  are  surprisingly  particular  about 
their  own  toilet. 


375  d.    PACIFIC    HORNED   OWL.  —  Bubo  virginianus 
pacificus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Horned  Owls  and  Hoot  Owls. 

Length  :  About  16.00  to  18.00. 

Adults:   Upper  parts  grayish,   mottled  with  buff  and  darker;    under 

parts  heavily  mottled  light  and  dark  grayish. 
Geographical  Distribution :    The  wood   regions  east  and   south  of  the 

humid  coast  belt,  almost  throughout  the  State. 
Breeding  Range :  Same  as  Geographical  Distribution. 
Breeding  Season  :  February,  March,  and  April. 
Nest :  In  hollow  trees  ;  30  to  50  feet  from  the  ground. 
Eggs:  3  ;  white. 

AMONG  the  tall  redwood  timber  about  Rowardennan, 
the  hooting  of  a  chorus  of  Horned  Owls  at  dusk  is  a 
weird,  ghostly  sound.  The  theory  has  been  advanced 
that  the  call  of  the  owl  is  a  means  of  terrifying  the  small 
animals,  which,  by  their  excitement,  would  reveal  their 
presence  to  the  keen  ears  of  the  soft-winged  hunter.  But 
this  is  not  always  the  case,  for  those  six  or  eight  Horned 
Owls  which  congregated  each  night  in  the  trees  close 
together,  and  made  the  moonlight  hours  vocal  with  their 
uncanny  notes,  evidently  did  so  from  the  mere  joy  of 
too-hooing.  The  effect  in  itself  was  bad  enough,  but 
when  one  thought  of  the  timid  little  wood  creatures 
trembling  in  their  nests  from  terror  at  the  sound,  one 


174  LAND   BIRDS 

longed  to  wring  the  necks  of  the  ghostly  choir  and  end 
their  music  forever.  Yet,  when  a  friend  offered  the  same 
result  with  a  gun,  the  relief  was  declined.  The  next 
day  when  we  found  many  despoiled  nests  and  I  was 
told  that  these  same  Owls  were  the  ravagers,  I  regretted 
my  clemency. 

This  species  breeds  more  or  less  abundantly  through- 
out the  redwood  district  and  in  most  of  the  mountainous 
regions  of  the  State.  So  early  in  the  year  do  they  com- 
mence their  cares  that  January  sometimes  finds  young  in 
the  nest.  The  only  pair  with  whose  domestic  arrange- 
ments I  ever  attempted  to  interfere  had  domiciled 
themselves  in  a  hollow  tree,  where,  although  at  a 
distance  of  thirty  or  more  feet  from  the  ground,  it  was 
accessible  from  a  ledge  near  by.  All  dreams  of  watching 
the  young  develop  were  rudely  dispelled  the  first  time  an 
attempt  was  made  to  pry  into  the  nest  hole.  The  prier 
escaped  with  one  finger  badly  damaged  and  nerves  some- 
what shaken,  never  again  to  meddle  with  that  Bubo 
household. 

The  incubation  lasted  four  weeks,  and  then  we  knew 
by  the  squeaking  cries  and  hisses  that  issued  from  the 
nest,  as  well  as  by  seeing  the  adults  carry  food,  that  the 
young  were  hatched.  From  that  time  on  for  nearly 
eleven  weeks  the  devoted  parents  foraged  for  the  brood, 
bringing  food  constantly,  and  never  once  did  those  small 
Owls  venture  to  peep  out  of  the  hole  in  the  daytime. 
Just  at  dusk  we  could  hear  them  scrambling  about  and 
practising  little  "  too-hoos,"  and  fancied  that  we  could 
see  a  head  or  two  in  the  doorway.  The  adults  roosted 


BIRDS   OF  PREY  175 

outside  during  the  day,  bringing  food   by  sunshine  or 
moonlight  as  it  happened. 

In  Santa  Cruz  County  the  food  of  this  species  consists, 
I  am  sorry  to  say,  oftener  of  poultry  and  song  birds  than 
of  mammals,  though  squirrels,  chipmunks,  and  lizards 
are  among  its  victims.  In  other  parts  of  the  State,  under 
different  conditions,  it  is  said  to  prefer  rodents  and  to  be 
of  value  to  the  farmers. 


378.    BURROWING   OWL.  —  Speotyto  cunicularia  hypogcea. 
FAMILY  :  The  Horned  Owls  and  Hoot  Owls. 

Length:  9.00-11.00. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  brownish,  mottled  with  white  and  tawny ;  under 

parts  tawny  to  buff,  barred  with  brown. 
Young:  Upper  parts  uniform  brown,  except  darker  bars  on  wing  and 

tail ;  under  parts  plain  tawny. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  From  the  Pacific,  east  to  Dakota  and  Texas. 
Breeding  Range :  Same  as  Geographical  Distribution. 
Breeding  Season :  In  California,  April  to  June. 
Nest:  In  a  burrow  of  prairie  dog,  or  rabbit,  or  badger,  or  gopher. 
Eggs:  6  to  11  ;  glossy  white.     Size  1.24  X  1.03. 

ONE  of  the  commonest  sights  throughout  California 
is  a  pair  of  these  little  Owls  sitting  side  by  side  at  the 
entrance  to  their  burrow,  sunning  themselves,  or  perched 
on  a  fence  post  or  low  stump,  blinking  wisely  at  the 
passer-by.  They  are  numerous  on  the  drive  from  San 
Diego  to  Tia  Juana,  and  are  scarcely  less  interesting  to 
the  Easterner  than  is  the  far-famed  road-runner.  In 
vicinities  where  the  prairie  dog  abounds,  many  fairy 
stories  are  told  of  how  he  shares  his  home  with  the  owls 
and  with  the  rattlesnakes,  but  I  believe  there  is  no  grain 


176 


LAND   BIRDS 


of  truth  in  them.  The  owls  hunt  among  the  burrows 
for  young  mammals,  and  the  offspring  of  the  "  dogs  "  are 
doubtless  a  choice  tidbit ;  the  snakes  crawl  from  hole  to 
hole  for  the  same  purpose,  but  include  owl  eggs  and 
nestlings  in  their  menu.  So  far  as  I  have  been  able  to 
observe,  the  "  dogs "  are  in  terror  from  both,  but  the 


-&=*>. 


378.    BURROWING  OWL. 
"  They  converse  in  soft  love  notes." 

sudden  advent  of  a  human  intruder  causes  the  three 
enemies  to  pop  suddenly  down  the  same  hole  with 
surprising  unanimity. 

Usually  one  may  find  the  Owls  sitting  at  the  doorway 
of  their  own  nest-burrow,  which  may  be  the  excavation 
of  some  badger  or  prairie  dog  whose  claim  they  have 
"jumped."  If  the  young  Owls  are  old  enough,  they  will 
be  there  also  in  the  family  circle,  but  at  sight  of  a 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  177 

human  visitor  they  will  scramble  into  the  hole  and  hide, 
leaving  the  adults  to  fool  him  by  flying  away.  If,  how- 
ever, only  the  adult  birds  are  outside  and  there  are  eggs 
or  young  in  the  nest,  the  result  is  quite  different.  Their 
antics  as  they  watch  a  person  approaching  from  a  dis- 
tance of,  say,  fifty  yards,  are  comical  enough.  They 
straighten  up  and  duck  excitedly,  exactly  as  a  tiny 
chicken  makes  a  show  of  his  fighting  powers,  bending  so 
low  that  the  head  nearly  touches  the  ground.  Then 
straightening  up  again,  they  turn  their  wise-looking 
heads  slowly  from  side  to  side,  as  if  to  see  the  effect, 
and  duck  again.  Finally  one,  presumably  the  male, 
decides  to  fly  and  the  other  pops  into  the  burrow.  It 
is  of  no  use  to  try  to  coax  or  drive  the  mother  out.  She 
will  seize  and  bite  a  stick  thrust  into  the  nest,  but  out 
she  will  not  come,  and  the  only  way  to  see  her  is  to  dig 
for  her.  All  about  the  door  are  heaps  of  cow  or  horse 
dung  and  wads  of  hair  and  bones,  and  I  believe  the  same 
usually  continues  to  the  end  of  the  burrow.  It  did  in 
the  only  one  I  ever  excavated. 

Incubation  begins  any  time  in  March,  April,  or  May, 
and  lasts  three  weeks.  Both  parents  assist,  and  fre- 
quently both  brood  at  the  same  time  at  the  end  of  the 
burrow,  which  is  from  four  to  ten  feet  long.  Usually, 
however,  one  acts  as  sentinel  at  the  door. 

While  the  courtship  of  these  queer  birds  lacks  the 
grotesqueness  of  that  of  the  sage  grouse,  it  has  some 
features  no  less  amusing  ;  after  watching  a  pair,  you  will 
conclude,  as  I  did,  that  the  sofa-pillow  caricatures  are 
not  far  from  the  truth.  Sitting  as  close  together  as 
12 


178  LAND  BIRDS 

possible  on  top  of  their  chosen  burrow,  they  converse 
in  soft  love  notes  not  unlike  a  far-away  "  kow-kow-kow  " 
of  a  cuckoo  ;  at  the  same  time  caressing  with  head  rub- 
bings and  billings. 

Although  the  Burrowing  Owl  is  more  or  less  shy,  it 
is  not  at  all  difficult  to  study  its  habits,  and  none  of  the 
owls  are  better  worth  while.  Only  one  thing  is  needful, 
patience,  —  patience  to  lie  flat  on  your  face  in  the  broil- 
ing sun  with  field  glass  glued  to  your  eyes,  hour  after 
hour,  and,  if  you  are  a  woman,  thoughts  of  possible 
lizards  or  rattlers  tormenting  your  inner  consciousness. 
But  the  game  is  worth  the  candle,  as  always  in  nature 
study.  On  the  Tulare  plains  you  may  watch  them  at 
any  hour  of  the  day  hunting  grasshoppers,  crickets,  mice, 
gophers,  squirrels,  lizards,  and  shore  larks.  You  may 
even  see  them  kill  bull  snakes  that  are  crawling  too  near 
their  nest.  This  war  they  wage  on  bull  snakes  has 
doubtless  given  them  the  reputation  of  killing  rattlers, 
but  I  know  they  are  afraid  of  the  latter  and  scramble 
away  with  queer  sidewise  hops,  breaking  into  flight  at 
the  near  approach  of  one. 

379.    PYGMY   OWL.  —  Glaucidium  gnoma. 

FAMILY  :  The  Owls. 

Length:  6.50-7.50. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  grayish  brown  or  reddish  brown  or  drab ;  top  of 
head  speckled  with  white  ;  under  parts  white,  thickly  streaked  with 
dark  brown  ;  tail  barred  with  white  and  blackish  ;  face  encircled  by  a 
dusky  border. 

Young:  Similar,  with  head  not  speckled. 

Downy  Young :  Gray,  merging  to  white. 


BIRDS   OF   PREY  179 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  North  America  through  the  timbered 
regions,  from  British  Columbia  to  Mexico  ;  not  in  the  humid  coast 
district. 

Breeding  Range:  Throughout  its  habitat. 

Breeding  Season :  April  20  to  June  15. 

Nest :  In  deserted  woodpeckers'  holes. 

Eggs :  4  ;  white. 

THE  Pygmy  Owl  is  a  tenant  of  old  woodpeckers' 
holes  all  through  the  San  Bernardino  Mountains.  Early 
in  May  it  may  be  seen  sitting  close  beside  its  mate  near 
the  trunk  of  a  pine  tree,  looking  somewhat  like  a  huge 
pine  cone  wrong  end  up.  It  is  a  very  love-sick  wooer, 
and  the  indifference  of  petite  Madame  Owl  is,  we  are  all 
convinced,  only  feigned.  All  the  soft,  purring  love  notes 
may  come  from  the  throat  of  the  male,  but  after  lying 
concealed  and  listening  for  hours  at  different  times,  I 
felt  certain  that  it  was  a  conversation  in  which  both  took 
part.  The  home  of  this  pair  was  in  a  charred  tree-trunk 
next  to  the  pine  in  which  they  used  to  sit  morning  and 
evening.  They  were  so  chubby  that  it  seemed  to  me  the 
doorway  must  be  too  small ;  but  evidently  it  suited,  for 
on  May  20  there  were  four  white  eggs  in  it,  and  from 
that  time  on  Madame  Owl  was  a  devoted  mother.  I 
watched  closely  but  never  saw  the  male  go  to  the  nest 
between  7  A.M.  and  5  P.M.  As  soon  as  the  sun's 
brightest  rays  were  gone,  he  would  call  softly  from  the 
pine,  and  soon  a  small  brown  head  appeared  in  the 
round  doorway.  After  a  moment  of  sleepy  winking  and 
blinking  at  the  great  sun  sinking  behind  the  trees,  the 
head  would  come  farther  out  of  the  nest  hole,  followed 
by  the  plump  brown  body,  and  the  next  instant  there 
were  two  in  that  old  pine  tree.  It  was  comical  to  watch 


180  LAND   BIRDS 

her  stretch  each  little  leg  in  its  pantalette  of  feathers  and 
give  a  few  preliminary  wing  flaps,  as  if  so  relieved  to  be 
out  of  that  dark  hole  and  into  the  free  air  once  more. 
But  she  is  hungry,  and  soon  flits  down  through  the  low 
shrubs  to  hunt  grasshoppers  or  small  lizards,  while  her 
mate  goes  into  the  nest  to  brood.  He  does  not  always 
do  this,  I  am  told,  but  in  the  case  of  one  brood  I  watched 
the  male  took  his  turn  on  the  eggs  each  night  and  morn- 
ing. I  judged  him  to  be  a  male  bird  from  his  trimmer 
appearance  and  long  absence  from  home  during  the  day- 
light hours,  which  he  spent  largely  in  eating.  Often  he 
would  perch  on  the  top  of  the  nest  shrub  and  fluff*  out 
all  his  feathers  in  a  sun-bath,  until  he  looked  like  a  minia- 
ture porcupine.  This  was  his  favorite  place  to  breakfast 
also,  but  I  never  saw  him  eat  there  during  the  brightest 
hours  of  the  day.  These  he  spent  in  the  shady  depths 
of  the  old  pine  tree. 

When  the  young  were  hatched,  —  eighteen  days  after 
the  first  eggs  were  laid,  —  they  were  covered  with  a 
cottony  down  of  a  soft  mouse-color,  merging  to  whitish 
on  under  parts,  the  funniest  little  puff-ball  nestlings 
imaginable,  in  size  not  larger  than  a  walnut.  Grass- 
hoppers and  various  kinds  of  insects  were  carried  to 
them  by  both  parents  throughout  the  day.  At  night  the 
mother  remained  in  the  nest  while  the  male  hid  in  the 
thick  foliage  of  the  pine,  but  with  the  sun's  first  ray  both 
were  astir  hunting  breakfast  for  the  hungry  babies. 


385.     ROAD-RUNNER 
Geococcyx  califoraianus 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING  181 

III.  — COMMON   LAND    BIRDS    IN 
COLOR    GROUPS 

WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING   IN   PLUMAGE 

385.     ROAD-RUNNER.  —  Geococcyx  califomianus. 

(Common  names  :  Chaparral  Cock  ;  Ground  Cuckoo ;  Liz- 
ard Bird.) 

FAMILY  :  The  Road-runners,  Anis,  and  Cuckoos. 

Length:  20.00-24.00. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  iridescent  blue-black  oil  head,  neck,  and  shoulders  ; 
metallic  greenish  brown  on  lower  back,  tail,  and  wings  ;  feathers 
broadly  edged  with  white  ;  tail-feathers  blue-black,  broadly  tipped 
with  white  ;  under  parts  whitish,  and  throat  streaked  dull  buff  and 
blackish  ;  naked  skin  in  front  of  the  eye,  blue  and  orange  ;  feathers 
of  the  head  and  neck  stiff  and  bristly  ;  tail  long  and  graduated  ;  four 
white  thumb  marks  on  the  under  tail-feathers. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Texas,  New  Mexico,  Southern  California, 
west  through  California,  south  into  Mexico. 

Breeding  Range  :  Throughout  its  habitat. 

Breeding  Season:  March  15  to  July  1. 

Nest :  A  platform  of  twigs  ;  lined  with  cowhair,  leaves,  or  feathers,  or 
nearly  unlined  ;  variously  placed  in  bushes  or  trees,  from  3  to  8  feet 
from  the  ground. 

Eggs :  2  to  12  ;  buffy  white.     Size  1.56  X  1.23. 

THE  "  Road-runner  "  is  well  named.  No  matter  how 
long  one  has  lived  in  California  or  how  familiar  one  may 
be  with  Western  birds,  the  novelty  of  seeing  one  of  these 
birds  dart  out  of  the  chaparral  and  race  down  the  road 
ahead  of  one  never  loses  its  charm.  "  It  takes  a  right 
smart  horse  to  keep  up  with  him."  Do  not  expect  to 
overtake  him  or  to  win  the  race.  A  brisk  trot  merely 
keeps  you  the  same  distance  behind  him,  and  a  faster 
gait  only  sends  him  scudding  along  more  rapidly.  When 


182  LAND  BIRDS 

tired,  or  if  he  sees  that  you  are  gaining  on  him,  he 
dodges  into  the  roadside  thicket,  stopping  so  suddenly 
as  to  go  heels  (or  rather  tail)  over  head.  It  is  a  unique 
performance,  and  one  never  becomes  quite  used  to  it. 

Few  birds  are  more  interesting  to  study,  or  better 
repay  observation.  The  Road-runners  are  common  resi- 
dents of  the  valleys  and  desert  regions  of  California, 
from  the  Mexican  border  north  to  Sacramento  valley. 
In  the  southern  part  of  the  State  and  in  Mexico  they 
are  occasionally  found  at  an  altitude  of  five  thousand 
feet,  but  they  prefer  the  lower, range  of  the  cactus- 
covered  plains  and  foot-hills. 

Their  food  consists  of  insects,  land  Crustacea,  small 
reptiles  of  all  varieties,  young  birds,  and  field-mice. 
They  are  popularly  believed  to  destroy  rattlesnakes,  but 
Mr.  Bendire  denies  this.  At  the  same  time  he  reports 
having  found  a  garter-snake  twenty  inches  long  in  the 
crop  of  one  of  them.  A  Road-runner  killed  by  Mr. 
Anthony  had  just  swallowed  a  large  lizard.  Un- 
doubtedly its  fondness  for  lizard  diet  has  given  it  one  of 
its  many  nicknames. 

In  habits,  the  Road-runners  are  shy,  suspicious,  and 
unsocial.  Except  during  the  breeding  season,  I  have 
rarely  seen  more  than  one  in  a  neighborhood.  Just 
before  rearing  their  brood,  and  for  some  time  after,  they 
feed  and  roost  in  pairs.  In  the  choice  of  nesting  site 
and  material  they  are  capricious.  Of  several  nests  ex- 
amined, no  two  were  alike.  One  found  in  May  was  in 
a  manzanita  bush  about  four  feet  from  the  ground,  was 
lined  with  rootlets  and  a  few  feathers,  and  contained 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING          183 

five  eggs.  Another  in  an  oak,  eight  feet  from  the 
ground,  looked  as  if  it  might  have  been  built  originally 
by  a  jay  and  relined  with  a  few  dried  leaves.  Several 
were  in  clumps  of  cactus  ;  and  one  was  within  a  foot  of 
the  ground,  on  a  broken  part  of  a  log,  well  sheltered  by 
bushes,  —  the  bird  perhaps  having  fancied  that  the  log 
was  part  of  the  bush.  This  nest  was  quite  elaborately 
constructed  of  twigs  and  lined  with  cow-hair,  snake- 
skin,  and  feathers  interwoven  with  rootlets.  It  con- 
tained, June  3,  five  young  birds,  covered  with  quills. 
Twenty-four  hours  later,  every  feather  on  three  of  them 
had  burst  its  sheath,  and  they  were  apparently  ready  for 
their  de"but ;  but  they  clung  desperately  to  the  nest  with 
their  strong  feet  when  an  attempt  was  made  to  lift  them 
from  it.  The  noise  made  by  the  young  resembled  the 
click  of  two  pieces  of  wood  —  not  metal  —  striking 
sharply  together,  and  did  not  fail  to  bring  both  parents 
to  the  scene.  They  were  very  angry,  and  presented*  a 
ludicrous  though  more  or  less  formidable  defence,  with 
bills  snapping  sharply,  wings  and  head  bristling,  and 
long  tail  wagging.  But  they  preferred  discretion  to 
valor,  and  on  being  pursued  slunk  away  swiftly  after  the 
manner  of  cuckoos. 

In  Southern  California  the  Road-runners  begin  nesting 
in  March,  and  eggs  are  found  late  in  June ;  hence  we 
may  infer  that  in  some  instances  even  three  broods  are 
raised  in  a  single  season.  I  believe,  however,  that  this 
is  true  only  when  an  accident  destroys  the  eggs  or  young 
of  the  earlier  broods.  The  Mexicans  insist  that  the 
pairs  remain  united  throughout  the  entire  year;  but  I 


184  LAND  BIRDS 

doubt  if  there  is  good  scientific  authority  for  such  a 
statement,  and,  like  the  rattlesnake  story,  it  should  be 
taken  with  a  grain  of  allowance. 

Although  so  shy,  these  birds  are  very  inquisitive, 
often  coming  close  to  human  habitations  for  apparently 
no  other  reason  than  to  satisfy  their  curiosity.  A 
ranchman  told  me  about  a  Road-runner  that  carried  off 
a  bright  red  ribbon  half  a  yard  long,  which  he  had 
picked  up  in  the  road,  running  as  fast  as  his  swift  legs 
could  carry  him  with  the  ribbon  fluttering  behind  him 
like  a  flag.  Nor  do  I  doubt  this,  after  having  seen  a 
very  amusing  comedy  played  by  one  of  these  birds.  The 
sole  actor  was  a  handsome  cock,  who  was  jumping  back- 
ward and  forward  over  a  clump  of  sagebrush  at  least 
eight  times  in  succession,  each  time  leaping  higher  than 
before.  At  first  I  thought  it  was  some  sort  of  love- 
dance  ;  but  no  female  was  in  sight.  Then  I  fancied  he 
might  be  killing  some  enemy,  he  seemed  so  excited. 
But  the  passage  of  a  horseman  startled  him,  and  away 
he  ran  on  a  merry  race,  with  nothing  in  his  beak.  There 
was  no  trace  of  anything  on  the  ground  by  the  time  I 
could  cross  the  thirty  yards'  distance  to  investigate. 

The  usual  note  of  the  Road-runner  is  a  modification  of 
the  "  kow-kow-kow  "  of  the  yellow-billed  cuckoo  into  a 
softer  "  coo-coo-coo,"  which  some  one  has  likened  to  the 
"  coo "  of  a  mourning  dove  ;  but  this  is  varied  by  the 
chuckling  notes  I  have  heard  a  crow  utter  when  talking 
to  himself,  and  it  occasionally  degenerates  into  a  cackle. 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          185 


387  a.    CALIFORNIA  CUCKOO.  —  Coccyzus  americanus 
occidentalis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Road-runners  and  Cuckoos. 

Length:  13.00. 

Adults:    Upper   parts  grayish  brown,  slightly  glossed  with  greenish; 

under  parts  white,  tinged  with  gray  on  chest ;  lower  mandible  yellow  ; 

tail  with  broad  white  thumb-marks  on  the  tips  ;  middle  tail-feathers 

brown,  tipped  with  black  ;  remainder  iridescent  blue-black. 
Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  duller. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Western  United  States  and  Lower  California. 
Breeding  Range :  In  California  the  breeding  range  seems  to  be  confined 

to  the  willow  bottoms. 

Breeding  Season :  May,  June,  July,  and  August. 
Nest :  A   loose   platform   of  sticks  ;   sometimes  lined  with  leaves  and 

catkins. 
Eggs :  3  or  4  ;  glossy  light  bluish  green  ;  paler  in  the  incubated  than  in 

the  fresh  laid.     Size  1.27  X  0.89. 

THE  California  Cuckoo,  or  Western  Yellow-billed 
Cuckoo,  breeds  extensively  along  the  willow  bottoms  of 
the  interior  valleys  of  the  State.  Mrs.  Eckstrom  says : 
"  As  a  nest-builder  the  cuckoo  is  no  genius  ;  or,  if  a 
genius,  he  belongs  to  the  impressionist  school.  The 
nest  is  but  a  raft  of  sticks  flung  into  the  fork  of  a 
bough."  Indeed  so  frail  and  so  loosely  put  together  is 
it  that  one  may  see  the  eggs  from  underneath.  Occa- 
sionally an  individual  will  be  found  who  aims  at  better 
things  and  has  made  some  slight  attempt  to  line  her 
cradle  with  grass.  Most  of  these  twig  platforms  are  so 
shallow  that  an  effort  to  peep  into  them  will  result  in 
spilling  the  contents,  and  a  windstorm  often  scatters  the 
eggs  over  the  ground  in  spite  of  the  mother's  care. 
When  this  happens,  or  when  the  eggs  have  been  stolen, 


186  LAND  BIRDS 

a  second  set  is  laid  in  another  nest,  and  for  this  the 
unfortunate  bird  sometimes  occupies  the  abandoned 
nests  of  other  birds.  There  is  no  authentic  record  of 
her  having  left  her  own  eggs  to  be  brooded  by  another, 
however,  and  the  accusation  of  parasitic  parenthood  is, 
in  her  case,  unjust.  It  belongs  rather  to  the  European 
species. 

Always  shy  haunters  of  the  willow  thickets,  cuckoos 
are  most  apt  to  be  heard  during  the  mating  season, 
which  varies  from  May,  in  San  Bernardino  County, 
where  they  are  more  or  less  scarce,  to  the  last  of  August 
in  Sacramento  valley,  although  a  brood  of  the  latter 
date,  as  noted  by  Major  Bendire,  undoubtedly  was  a 
belated  one. 

The  only  brood  of  the  Western  Yellow-billed  Cuckoo 
that  I  have  watched  develop  was  housed  in  a  willow 
clump  in  Santa  Clara  valley.  The  last  of  three  pale 
green  eggs  was  laid  May  30,  and  incubation  began  the 
next  day.  For  eighteen  days  the  slim  brown  mother 
brooded ;  and  when,  at  the  end  of  that  time,  three  wrig- 
gling, naked  birdlings  filled  the  nest,  her  watchful  care 
was  doubled.  Noiselessly  as  a  shadow  she  would  slip 
through  the  low  bushes  with  a  cricket  in  her  bill,  and 
during  the  early  hours  of  the  morning  one  or  the  other 
of  the  parents  was  en  route  continually  with  food  for  the 
hungry  but  silent  nestlings.  These  were  fed  by  regurgi- 
tation  at  first,  and  they  grew  surprisingly  as  the  days 
went  by.  At  the  end  of  twenty  days  they  were  covered 
with  pinfeathers  and  looked. like  tiny  porcupines.  Sud- 
denly, on  the  twenty-first  day,  these  sheaths  burst,  and 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          187 

the  young  Cuckoos  were  arrayed 
in  all  the  glory  of  real  plumage. 
The  next  day  the  three  left  the 
nest  and  I  was  unable  to  find 
them  again. 

During  this  period  of  brood- 
ing and  caring  for  the  young 
the  adult  Cuckoos,  though  at 
first  suspicious,  became  some- 
what reconciled  to  rny  visits  ; 
at  any  rate,  they  neither  moved 
the     eggs  —  as      cuckoos 
have     been     thought     to 
do   when    d  i  s  t  u  rb  e  d  — 
nor    deserted    them.      At 
my   approach   the    mother 
would    ruffle   her   feathers 
until  the  usually  sleek,  slen- 
der bird  seemed  to  be  bris- 
tling  with    rage,    her    head 
extended   on   a   level   with 
her  body  and  her  long  tail 
slightly   elevated.      But 
though  her  eye  followed  me  with 
unwinking  intensity,  she  would 
not  desert  her  post,  nor  did  I 
ever  force  her  to  do  so. 

The  clear  "  kow-kow-kow  "  of  &.**• 

the   father-bird  could   be  heard    387  a.  CALIFORNIA  CUCKOO. 
far  into  the  night,  if  the  moon 


188  LAND   BIRDS 

lighted  the  lowlands,  and  during  the  day  it  floated 
through  the  wood  like  a  wandering  voice.  It  was  diffi- 
cult to  tell  by  the  sound  just  how  far  away  he  was,  but 
I  knew  that  he  was  busy  feasting  where  the  tent  cater- 
pillars nested.  In  my  heart  I  blessed  him  for  his  choice 
of  food,  for  he  is  the  only  bird  that  will  touch  these 
pests,  and  even  he  clips  off  the  hairs  before  he  swallows 
the  morsel. 


413.    RED-SHAFTED  FLICKER.  —  Colaptes  cafer  collaris. 
FAMILY  :  The  Woodpeckers. 

Length:  12.75-14.00. 

Adult  Male :  General  color  of  body  and  head  brownish,  becoming  no- 
ticeably grayer  on  back  of  neck  ;  rump  white  ;  back  narrowly  barred 
with  black  ;  tail  black  ;  nuchal  band  and  mustache  red  ;  a  black 
crescent  on  chest ;  under  side  of  wings  and  tail  red ;  under  parts 
thickly  spotted  with  round  black  dots. 

Adult  Female :  Like  male,  but  malar  stripe  usually  buffy. 

Young  :  Like  adults,  but  with  no  mustache. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  United  States  from  Rocky  Moun- 
tains to"  the  Pacific  coast ;  north  to  Sitka,  south  to  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range  :  In  suitable  localities  throughout  the  State. 

Breeding  Season  :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  Iii  trees  or  stumps,  from  2  to  70  feet  from  the  ground  ;  and  also 
in  sides  of  banks. 

Eggs:  5  to  10 ;  white.     Size  1.12  X  0.86. 

THE  Eastern  flicker,  known  as  "yellow-hammer," 
"  high-holer,"  or  "  golden-shafted  woodpecker,"  is  repre- 
sented in  California  by  the  Red-shafted  Flicker,  a  bird 
similar  in  everything  except  his  red  malar  stripe  and  the 
under  surface  of  the  wing-quills  and  tail-feathers,  which 
in  his  case  are  rose-color  or  soft  scarlet  instead  of  yellow. 
In  call-notes,  nesting  habits,  and  food  the  Western  is 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          189 

identical  with  the  Eastern  species.  The  nest  is  a  hole 
eighteen  or  twenty  inches  deep  and  four  inches  wide  at 
the  bottom,  with  an  entrance  two  inches  in  diameter  at 
the  top.  It  is  made  in  old  stumps  or  dead  trees,  gate- 
posts, nooks  and  crannies  in  deserted  buildings,  and 
sometimes  in  banks  of  earth.  Both  male  and  female 
birds  share  in  the  excavation,  working  in  turns  of  about 
twenty  minutes  each.  The  site  having  been  chosen,  the 
male  clings  to  the  surface  and  marks  with  his  bill  a  more 
or  less  regular  circle  in  a  series  of  dots,  then  begins  ex- 
cavating inside  this  area,  using  his  bill,  not  with  a  side- 
wise  twist,  as  do  many  of  the 'woodpecker  family,  but 
striking  downwards  and  prying  off  the  chips  as  with 
a  pickaxe.  When  his  mate  has  rested  and  wishes  to 
share  in  the  labor,  she  calls  from  a  near-by  tree  and  he 
instantly  quits  his  task.  In  a  few  moments,  before  one 
has  realized  how  or  whence  she  came,  the  female  has 
taken  his  place  and  the  chips  are  flying  merrily.  As 
a  rule,  the  birds  work  only  early  in  the  morning  and  late 
in  the  afternoon,  taking  from  ten  to  fourteen  days  to 
finish  the  excavation.  By  the  middle  of  May  there  have 
been  laid  seven  or  eight  beautiful,  glossy-white  eggs, 
having  a  pearly  lustre,  and  so  transparent  that  when 
fresh  the  yolks  show  through  the  shell.  As  incubation 
advances,  the  shells  become  more  opaque,  until,  when 
ready  to  hatch,  they  have  a  limy  ring  around  the  middle, 
showing  where  the  shell  will  part.  In  fifteen  days 
appear  the  most  grotesque  of  all  bird  babies,  unless  it  be 
those  of  the  pileated  woodpecker  or  of  the  cormorant. 
Their  bodies  are  the  shape,  size,  and  color  of  a  pink  rub- 


190  LAND   BIRDS 

her  ball,  such  as  children  use  for  playing  "jacks."  Two 
worm-like  appendages,  for  embryo  wings,  dangle  help- 
lessly, and  two  long,  sprawly,  weak  legs  are  set  far  back 
on  the  ball-like  body.  An  extremely  long  neck  waves 
aimlessly,  ending  in  a  camel-like  head,  the  lower  man- 
dible of  the  wide  mouth  projecting  beyond  the  upper ; 
there  are  black,  skinny  knobs  for  eyes  and  curious,  large 
ear-holes.  If  placed  on  a  level  surface,  these  animated 
balls  roll  about  helplessly,  the  only  way  of  steadying 
themselves  apparently  being  by  bracing  and  pushing  with 
their  heads.  As  they  are  fed  by  regurgitation  they  will 
swallow  two  inches  of  one's  finger  and  hold  on  so  tightly 
that  they  may  be  lifted  up  by  it.  Having  been  unable 
to  complete  my  observations  at  Lake  Tahoe,  I  once  took 
two  of  these  ungainly  but  interesting  pets,  when  three 
days  old,  from  California  to  Chicago,  on  the  "  Overland," 
feeding  them  with  hard-boiled  yolk  of  egg  mixed  with 
water,  potato,  and  grated  carrot.  They  were  remark- 
ably well  behaved,  and  excepting  an  occasional  clatter- 
ing noise,  somewhat  between  a  mowing-machine  and 
a  nestful  of  bees,  they  were  silent  and  throve  well.  In 
feeding,  I  first  gave  them  the  food  and  then  allowed 
them  to  suck  a  finger,  shaking  them  by  moving  it,  as  I 
had  seen  the  parents  do,  as  otherwise  they  would  have 
been  unable  to  swallow.  As  they  grew  older  they  were 
given  mocking-bird  food,  composed  largely  of  ants'  eggs 
and  resembling  their  natural  diet. 

When  left  to  the  parent,  however,  they  are  brought  up 
in  a  much  more  hygienic  fashion.  For  nearly  three  weeks 
they  are  fed  by  regurgitation,  and  after  that  time  the  in- 


WITH    BROWN    PREDOMINATING  191 

sects  brought  are  masticated  by  the  parents.  The  adult, 
coming  with  food,  lights  on  the  tree  at  one  side  of  the 
nest-hole,  and  instantly  the  small  doorway  blossoms  with 
two  or  three  grotesque  heads,  mouths  wide  open  and 
ready.  Meanwhile  all  the  infants  are  joining  in  the 
buzzing  chorus  that  announces  their  hunger  in  language 
plainer  than  speech.  The  parent  inserts  his  bill  into  the 
throat  of  each  one  in  turn,  shaking  the  nestling  back  and 
forth  vigorously.  When  all  have  been  fed,  he  retires 
behind  the  tree  trunk  out  of  sight,  to  wait  until  the  hub- 
bub subsides  and  to  determine  whether  any  of  the  young- 
sters are  still  hungry  or  are  only  crying  from  habit. 

After  they  are  old  enough  to  leave  the  nursery,  they 
follow  their  parents  about  for  nearly  two  weeks,  begging 
to  be  fed  and  gradually  learning  to  hunt  for  themselves. 
This  lesson  is  wisely  taught  by  the  parents,  who  place 
the  food  under  a  crevice  in  the  bark,  in  full  sight  of  the 
young,  who  must  pick  it  out  or  go  hungry.  The  baby 
cocks  his  head  wisely,  looks  at  it,  and  proceeds  to  pull  it 
out  and  dine. 

Flickers  are  essentially  ant-eating  woodpeckers,  and 
consequently  are  seen  upon  the  ground  oftener  than  any 
other  variety.  They  run  their  long  bills  down  into  the 
ant-hills,  and,  extending  their  spiny,  sticky  tongues  still 
farther,  withdraw  them  covered  with  eggs  and  larvae. 
Their  call-note  is  a  shrill  "  wicker-wicker-wick-wick- 
wick,"  and  sometimes,  when  angry,  a  high,  screaming 
"  hii-k-ha."  The  wooing  of  a  pair  of  these  birds  is  the 
most  ludicrous  performance  that  can  be  imagined,  and 
well  worth  watching. 


192  LAND  BIRDS 

418 b.   DUSKY  POORWILL,  OR  CALIFORNIA  POOR- 
WILL.  —  Pkalcenoptilus  nuttalli  calif ornicus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Goatsuckers. 

Length:  7.00-8.00. 

Adult  Male :  Upper  parts  blackish  or  dark  brown,  with  a  velvety  moth- 
like  surface,  barred  with  finely  mottled  grayish  brown  and  distinct 
black  arrow-shaped  markings  ;  middle  of  crown  black  ;  tail-feathers, 
except  the  middle  ones,  tipped  with  white  ;  sides  of  head  and  chin 
black  ;  white  throat-patch  bordered  with  black  ;  under-tail  coverts 
buffy;  rest  of  under  parts  barred. 

Adult  Female :  Like  male,  but  tail-feathers  tipped  with'  a  narrower  band 
of  white. 

Young :  Upper  parts  grayish,  finely  mixed  with  brown  ;  markings  less 
distinct. 

Geographical  Distribution :  From  the  foot-hill  regions  west  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  to  the  coast  and  south  to  Lower  California. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Latitude  of  Upper  Sonora,  west  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada. 

Breeding  Season :  May. 

Nest :  No  nest,  eggs  being  laid  on  the  ground. 

Eggs :  2  ;  glossy  white,  with  a  faint  pinkish  tint.     Size  1.00  X  0.76. 

THROUGHOUT  the  coast  region  of  California  I  believe 
the  Dusky  Poorwill  is  a  rather  common  summer  visitant, 
if  not  a  summer  resident.  It  is  a  haunter  of  canons  and 
deep  woody  places,  never  of  the  open.  I  found  the  eggs 
of  a  bird  of  this  species  on  the  bare  ground  at  the  foot  of 
a  tree  in  Marin  County.  The  mother  was  brooding  ;  she 
flushed  from  literally  under  my  feet,  brushing  me  as 
she  took  flight  and  hid  in  the  deep  wood,  and  I  found 
the  eggs  scarcely  a  foot  from  where  I  was  standing. 
Marking  the  tree  and  leaving  for  several  hours,  I  re- 
turned to  find  her  on  the  eggs  again,  and  this  time 
watched  her  through  my  glass,  not  going  nearer  than 
fifteen  feet.  So  far  as  I  could  judge  in  that  way,  she 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  193 

corresponded  perfectly  to  the  mounted  specimen  of  the 
Dusky  Poorwill  which  I  had  seen,  but  it  was  my  first 
experience  with  the  live  bird.  Three  days  later,  when  I 
went  to  the  spot,  there  were  two  downy  young  ones  in 
the  nest,  looking  so  much  like  the  shadows  on  the  pine 
needles  that  at  first  I  could  not  see  them  and,  but  for 
the  mother's  antics,  would  have  given  up  the  search. 
She  flopped  about  on  the  ground,  feigning  a  broken 
wing,  wallowing  among  the  leaves,  and  whining  like  a 
young  puppy.  I  picked  up  one  of  the  fuzzy  babies, 
looked  it  over  carefully,  and  replacing  it,  withdrew  to 
hide  and  watch.  For  two  hours  she  did  nothing  but 
brood  them,  but  thereafter  I  was  rewarded  by  seeing  her 
lug  one  off  to  a  distance  of  half  a  rod  and  drop  down 
with  it  in  a  fern  tangle.  In  a  moment  she  came  back 
for  the  other  and  repeated  the  performance. 

During  the  early  evening  hours  of  my  watching  she  left 
the  nest  and  came  again,  but  apparently  brought  nothing 
in  her  bill,  and  if  she  fed  them  then  it  was  by  regurgita- 
tion.  In  all  this  time  I  saw  nothing  of  the  other  parent 
either  in  the  wood  or  near  the  nest,  and  do  not  think  he 
paid  any  attention  to  the  cares  of  the  family. 

The  Poorwills  are  nocturnal  and  crepuscular  in  habits, 
feeding  upon  night-moths,  beetles,  grasshoppers,  and 
gnats,  and  ejecting  the  indigestible  parts  in  the  same 
manner  as  do  the  owls.  Like  owls  also,  they  are  abso- 
lutely noiseless  and  bat-like  in  flight.  Their  note  is  the 
well-known  soft,  two-syllabled  call,  so  imperfectly  repre- 
sented by  letters,  and  rapidly  repeated  with  scarcely 
a  pause  for  breath  throughout  the  evening  hours. 

13 


194  LAND   BIRDS 

Although  it  may  never  have  been  heard  before  by  the 
watcher,  it  may  be  instantly  and  instinctively  recognized 
as  it  floats  out  of  the  deep  ravine  or  from  the  darkness 
of  the  woods. 

420  d.  CALIFORNIA   NIGHTHAWK.  —  Chordeiles 

virginianus  hesperis. 
(Common  names :   Bull  Bat ;    Mosquito  Hawk  ;   Will-o'- 

the-Wisp.) 

FAMILY  :  The  Goatsuckers. 

Length:  About  9.00. 

Adult  Male :  Upper  parts  black,  mottled  with  gray  and  buffy ;  a  white 

or  buffy  patch  on  the  wing  ;  tail,  except  the  middle  feathers,  banded 

with  white  near  the  tif>  ;   throat  white  ;  chest  black ;  belly  barred 

black  and  white. 

Adult  Female :  No  white  on  tail ;  otherwise  like  male. 
Downy  Young :  Covered  with  thin  yellowish  brown  down  mottled  with 

darker. 

Young  :  Markings  less  distinct  than  on  adults. 
Geographical  Distribution :  In    California,   the    Transition    and    Boreal 

zones  of  the   northern   end   of  the    State,   and   south  through  the 

Sierra    Nevada;    recorded    during    migration   through   the   western 

valleys;  south  in  winter  to  the  tropics. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Wooded  districts  of  northern  part  of  the 

State. 

Breeding  Season :  May  15  to  June  15. 
Nest :  None  ;  eggs  laid  ou  the  bare  ground. 
Eggs:  2  ;  vary  from  pale  olive-buff  to  buffy  and  grayish  white  ;  thickly 

mottled  and  dashed  with  varied  tints  of  darker  gray,  olive,  or  even 

blackish,  marbled,  and  clouded  with  lavender.     Size  1.25  X  0.85. 

WITH  the  exception  of  the  Texan  nighthawk  the  sub- 
species of  nighthawks  occurring  in  California  resemble 
each  other  so  closely  that  it  is  impossible  to  distinguish 
them  without  shooting,  and  their  ranges  overlap  in  such 
a  way  as  to  make  locality  an  uncertain  guide.  Therefore 
only  one  form,  Chordeiles  virginianus  hesperis,  without 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  195 

the  other  subspecies,  will  be  here  recorded.  The  char- 
acteristics of  this  race  piay  be  regarded  as  belonging 
to  all. 

Although  called  "  Nighthawk,"  it  really  hunts  almost 
as  much  by  day,  and  may  be  seen  late  in  the  afternoon  or 
early  in  the  morning,  skimming  over  the  water  or  low 
wet  ground  with  graceful  swallow-like  flight.  Its  food 
consists  of  the  insects  found  in  the  air  and  near  the 
water,  swarms  of  small  gnats,  small  night-moths  and 
flies.  These  it  catches  in  its  capacious  mouth  in  the 
same  manner  that  a  fisherman  uses  a  scoop  net,  the 
"  whiskers  "  helping  to  trap  the  prey.  It  may  easily  be 
distinguished  from  the  poorwill,  which  it  closely  resem- 
bles, by  the  conspicuous  white  patches  on  its  wings,  which, 
when  seen  from  beneath  in  flight,  look  like  holes.  It  is 
known  also  by  its  diurnal  habits,  as  it  seldom  flies  after 
the  sun  has  set.  The  poorwill,  on  the  contrary,  unless 
flushed,  never  flies  by  daylight,  but  hides  through  the 
sunny  hours  in  the  shadows  of  the  deep  wood,  usu- 
ally crouching  on  the  ground  or  on  a  well-shaded  log. 
Nighthawks  spend  the  middle  of  the  day  squatting 
lengthwise  on  a  limb,  their  feet,  like  those  of  the  poor- 
wills,  being  too  weak  to  perch.  Here  they  sleep,  trust- 
ing for  safety  to  protective  coloring,  and  refuse  to  move 
unless  startled  into  flight. 

They  make  no  nest,  but  lay  their  two  speckled  eggs 
on  the  bare  ground  usually  in  plain  view  of  the  passer-by, 
and  not  infrequently  on  the  flat  gravel  roofs  of  buildings. 
Always  a  well-drained,  rather  sunny  place  is  selected, 
and  the  eggs  are  less  frequently  found  than  one  would 


196  LAND  BIRDS 

suppose,  because  their  color  usually  blends  so  well  with 
that  of  their  surroundings. 

Incubation  lasts  sixteen  days,  and  it  is  a  question  how 
far  the  male  shares  in  it.  In  some  cases  he  does ;  but 
as  a  rule  he  prefers  to  watch  from  a  limb  overhead  so 
long  as  there  are  eggs  only.  So  soon  as  these  become 
animated  bits  of  bird  life,  his  interest  is  aroused,  and  he 
is  quite  as  ready  to  guard  them  as  is  the  mother.  The 
newly  hatched  young  are  little  balls  of  rusty  down, 
mottled  slightly  with  dusky,  and  have  the  characteristic 


420.     NlGHTHAWK. 
"  Crept  back  as  often  as  she  was  driven  away." 

large  head,  wide  mouth,  and  short  thick  neck  of  the 
adults,  so  that  you  know  at  once  to  what  family  they 
belong.  They  are  carefully  guarded  by  one  of  the 
parents  continually,  and  if  molested  they  will  likely  be 
removed  to  another  hiding-place;  but  the  nighthawks 
remove  their  young  less  frequently  than  the  poorwills. 
The  feeding  of  the  nestlings  is  accomplished  by  a 
modified  regurgitation,  the  small  insects  being  brought 
iu  the  gular  pouch  or  cheeks  of  the  parent.  A  female 
that  we  found  on  the  nest  would  not  leave  the  young 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING  197 

until  flushed,  and  then  she  crept  back  as  often  as  she 
was  driven  away,  all  the  time  spitting  like  a  cat  and 
ruffling  her  feathers  like  an  angry  owl.  I  believe  this 
was  due  to  her  courage  in  defending  her  young  and  not 
to  any  stupidity.  The  next  day  she  had  removed  them, 
and  we  did  not  find  them  again.  Other  cases  of  as 
great  courage  on  the  part  of  both  adults  of  this  species 
I  have  noticed,  and  am  sure  that  the  Nighthawks  are 
more  devoted  to  their  nests  and  young  than  any  other 
birds  I  have  studied. 

On  the  wing,  Nighthawks  are  very  sociable,  circling 
in  flocks  and  twittering  after  the  manner  of  chimney- 
swifts,  to  which  they  are  closely  related,  and  uttering 
their  characteristic  "  boom  "  which  has  given  them  the 
name  of  "  night  jar."  They  seem  always  to  be  having  a 
good  time  together,  —  a  jolly  good  fellowship,  as  it  were, 
—  that  fits  in  well  with  the  joy  of  morning  or  the  glory 
of  even  in  2. 


421.    TEXAN   NIGHTHAWK.  —  Chordeiles  acutipennis 
texensis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Goatsuckers. 

Length:  8.00-9.00. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  dull  mottled  gray,  streaked  with  rusty  black  ; 

chest  and  under  parts  barred  black  and  light  brown  ;  throat  white ; 

a  white  band-like  patch  crossing  wing ;    wing-coverts  spotted  and 

mottled  with  brown. 

Adult  Female :  Similar,  but  wing-patch  buffy. 

Young:  Finely  mottled  above  ;  under  parts  washed  with  pale  red-brown. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Southern  border  of  United  States  from  Texas 

to  Southern  California,  north  to  Utah,  south  to  Cape  St.  Lucas. 
Breeding  Range:  In  California,  the  southeastern  portion  of  the  State. 


198  LAND  BIRDS 

Breeding  Season  :  April  and  May. 
Nest :  None  ;  eggs  laid  on  the  bare  ground. 

Eggs:  2 ;   clay-colored,  dotted,  mottled,   or  marbled   with  brown   and 
obscure  lilac.     Size  1.07  X  0.77. 


MR.  GRINNELL  says  the  Texan  Nighthawk  is  a  common 
summer  visitant  throughout  the  Lower  Sonorau  zone, 
and  occurs  as  far  north  as  Stanislaus  and  San  Benito 
counties.  Mr.  Bendire  records  it  at  San  Joaquin  County, 
and  Mr.  Merriam  found  it  breeding  in  Inyo  County. 

It  is  the  smallest  of  all  the  nighthawks  found  in  the 
United  States.  Like  the  other  varieties,  it  is  gregarious 
while  feeding ;  it  skims  over  the  water  like  a  swallow, 
and  scoops  the  tiny  gnats  in  its  wide  mouth.  It  is  said 
not  to  make  the  peculiar  booming  of  the  Eastern  night- 
hawk,  but  to  utter  a  peculiar  humming  sound  while  on 
the  wing. 

Dr.  Merrill  writes  of  it:  "The  eggs  are  usually  de- 
posited in  exposed  situations,  among  sparse  chaparral, 
on  ground  baked  almost  as  hard  as  brick  by  the  intense 
heat  of  the  sun.  One  set  of  eggs  was  placed  on  a  small 
piece  of  tin  within  a  foot  or  two  of  a  frequented  path. 
The  female  sits  close,  and  when  flushed  flies  a  few  feet 
and  speedily  returns  to  its  eggs.  They  make  no  attempt 
to  drive  an  intruder  away.  I  have  ridden  up  to  within 
five  feet  of  a  female  on  her  eggs,  dismounted,  tied  my 
horse  and  put  my  hand  on  the  bird  before  she  would 
move.  .  .  .  The  notes  are  a  mewing  call  and  a  very 
curious  call  that  is  with  difficulty  described.  It  is  some- 
what like  the  distant  and  very  rapid  tapping  of  a  large 
woodpecker,  accompanied  by  a  humming  sound,  and  it  is 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  199 

almost  impossible  to  tell  in  what  direction  or  what  dis- 
tance the  bird  is  that  makes  the  noise.  Both  these 
notes  are  uttered  on  the  wing  or  on  the  ground,  and  by 
both  sexes. 


457.    SAY    PHCEBE.—  Sayornis  sayus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Flycatchers. 

Length:  7.50-8.05. 

Adult :  Upper  parts  dark  brownish  gray ;  tail  black  ;  belly  light  cin- 
namon, merging  to  light  brownish  gray  on  breast. 

Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  wing-coverts  tipped  with  brown. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  United  States,  north  to  arctic 
circle,  south  to  Mexico. 

California  breeding  Range :  East  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  to  Lower  Cali- 
fornia. 

Breeding  Season  :  March  10  'to  June  20. 

Nest :  Of  weed  stems,  dry  grasses,  moss,  plant  fibre,  wool,  spider  webs, 
hair,  and  sometimes  of  mud  ;  the  lining  generally  composed  of  wool 
or  hair  ;  placed  on  projecting  ledges,  protected  by  overhanging  walls, 
in  old  tunnels,  about  barns,  or  under  bridges. 

Eggs:  3  to  6  ;  white.     Size  0.75  X  0.61. 

SOMEWHAT  larger  than  the  Eastern  phoebe  is  the 
Western  representative  of  the  family.  It  has  a  wide 
geographical  distribution,  breeding  from  the  arctic  circle 
to  the  southern  limit  of  the  United  States.  In  habits 
and  general  characteristics  it  resembles  the  Eastern 
phoebe,  returning  among  the  earliest  spring  migrants 
to  its  old  home,  whether  that  be  just  inside  the  borders 
of  Southern  California  or  in  frosty  Alaska.  For  in 
whatever  spot  the  Say  Phoebe  has  reared  its  first  brood 
it  will  continue  to  nest  year  after  year. 

This  species  is  found  in  greatest  numbers  in- the  open 
country,  seldom  or  never  frequenting  the  deep  forests. 


200  LAND   BIRDS 

Originally,  all  phoebes  built  on  sheltered  ledges  of  cliffs, 
or  shelves  in  caves,  or  on  any  jutting  bit  of  rock  secured 
from  storm  by  an  overhanging  roof.  But  all  this  is 
changed,  now  that  men  have  conquered  the  wilderness 
and  caused  it  to  blossom  like  the  rose.  These  birds 
were  among  the  first  to  recognize  the  advantage  of 
human  friendship  and  to  seek  its  protection.  Without 
a  question  they  preempted  the  beams  of  barns  together 
with  the  swallows,  encroaching  more  and  more  upon  the 
new-found  territory,  until  now  they  build  their  nests  as 
close  to  human  dwellings  as  the  owners  will  permit. 
Beams  of  piazzas,  window-ledges  behind  blinds,  and 
summer  book-shelves  nailed  to  the  wall  of  the  veranda 
are  among  their  chosen  sites.  Unlike  her  Eastern  repre- 
sentative, Sayomis  saya  rarely  uses  mud  in  the  construc- 
tion of  her  home,  making  quite  a  flat  structure  of  weed 
stems,  dry  grasses,  moss,  wool,  hair,  spider  webs,  and 
silky  material  from  cocoons  or  plant  down.  Usually  it 
is  smoothly  lined  with  this  silky  fibre  or  wool,  or  some- 
times hair.  Four  or  five  pearly  eggs  are  laid,  one  each 
day,  and  the  day  after  the  set  is  completed  the  mother 
begins  her  cares.  Incubation  lasts  two  weeks,  and 
although  the  male  does  not  brood  he  sits  all  day  long 
on  a  lookout  near  by.  The  newly  hatched  young  are 
naked  except  for  a  slight  gray  fuzz  on  their  saffron  skin. 
Until  six  days  old  their  eyes  are  closed  by  a  skinny 
membrane,  and  during  this  time  they  are  fed  by  regur- 
gitation.  They  mature  very  rapidly,  and  in  two  weeks 
have  their  feathers  well  in  order  for  their  first  attempts 
to  fly.  Up  to  this  time  the  father  bird  has  diligently 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING 


201 


fed  and  guarded  both  them  and  the  mother,  coming  to 
the  nest .  every  two  or  three  minutes  with  butterflies  in 
his  bill.  But  as  soon  as  they  are  ready  to  try  their 
wings,  he  assumes  full  charge,  teaching  them  to  fly  and 
to  catch  insects  on  the  wing  in  true  flycatcher  fashion. 

Two,  and  occasionally  three,  broods  are  raised  in  a 
season.  No  sooner  has  the  father  fairly  launched  the 
young  on  the  world 
than  the  industrious 
little  mother  repairs 
the  nest,  and  in  it 
lays  a  second  set  of 
pretty  white  eggs. 
Again  she  broods  for 
fourteen  days,  now 
seldom  or  never  fed 
by  her  mate;  but, 
since  the  days  grow  warmer, 
leaving  oftener  and  for  longer 
intervals  to  forage  for  her- 
self. When  the  second 
family  is  ready  to  fly,  she 
takes  charge  of  it  unless  the 

necessity  of  rearing  a  third  brood  should  compel  her  to 
desert  them;  and  then,  from  somewhere,  the  hitherto 
unnoticed  male  appears,  to  assume  care  of  them.  It  is 
a  mooted  question  whether  any  bird  rears  three  broods 
in  one  year,  and  this  is  the  only  species  for  which  I 
make  the  claim.  While  the  same  pairs  usually  return 
each  year  to  the  same  locality  to  nest,  some  instances 


457.    SAY  PHCEBE. 

'  The  industrious  little  mother  repairs 
'.nest." 


202  LAND   BIRDS 

of  very  unusual  choice  of  sites  have  been  recorded: 
"  in  an  old  robin's  nest  placed  in  a  bush  four  feet  from 
the  ground  "  ;  in  old  tunnels  and  mining  shafts,  in  pros- 
pect holes,  in  an  old  embankment,  in  burrows  of  the 
bank  swallows,  etc.  But  always  the  nests  are  lined  with 
some  soft  warm  material,  such  as  wool  or  short  hair. 

The  ordinary  call-note  of  the  Say.Phosbe  is  a  plain- 
tive "phee-er,"  always  accompanied  by  a  twitch  of  the 
tail  and  the  raising  and  lowering  of  the  crest.  Besides 
this  note,  during  the  mating  season  it  utters  a  short  low 
warble. 

462.  WESTERN  WOOD  PEWEE.  —  Horizopus  richardsoni. 
FAMILY  :  The  Flycatchers. 

Length:  6.20-6.75. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  dark  grayish  brown  ;  under  parts  washed  with  dark 

gray  ;  belly  and  under  tail-coverts  whitish  or  tinged  with  yellow. 
Young :  Similar  to  adults  with  brownish  wing-bafs. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Western  North  America,  north   to   British 

Columbia,  east  to  Great  Plains,  south  in  winter  to  Mexico  and  South 

America. 

California  Breeding  Range :  In  Transition  zone  throughout  the  State. 
Breeding  Season:  June  and  July. 
Nest:  Of  plant  fibre,   rootlets,  down,  sage,  and  grass  tops  ;  sometimes 

covered  with  lichens  or  spider  webs  ;  in  trees,  from  5  to  40  feet  from 

the  ground. 
Eggs:   2  to  4  ;    irregularly   spotted    with  brown   and  purple   afc   the 

larger  end. 

IN  general  characteristics  the  Western  Wood  Pewee 
does  not  differ  much  from  the  common  wood  pewee  of 
the  East.  Its  call-note  is,  however,  harsher  and  more 
emphatic,  lacking  the  plaintive  quality  of  the  "  peeah- 
wee  "  heard  morning  and  evening  in  the  Eastern  woods. 
It  is  variously  described  as  "  pee-ee,"  "  pee-eer,"  "  pee-ah," 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          203 

"  tweer,"  or  "  deer."  It  ranges  from  the  valleys  to  the 
higher  Sierra  Nevada,  building  its  nest  indiscriminately 
in  pine,  cottonwood,  aspen,  oak,  ash,  or  fruit  trees,  but 
always  near  water.  In  habits  it  is  essentially  a  fly- 
catcher, darting  out  from  a  favorite  perch  to  seize  its 
prey  in  the  air.  Mr.  Lawrence  advances  the  theory  that 
it  feeds  high  among  the  tree-tops  during  the  early  morn- 
ing and  late  evening,  because  the  sunlight  sets  the  insects 
stirring  there  before  it  does  those  of  the  undergrowth. 

The  nests  of  this  species  are  deeper  and  more  solid 
than  those  of  the  Eastern  pewee,  in  whose  shallow 
structures  the  bare  foundation  branch  sometimes  shows 
through  the  scanty  lining.  Fine  dry  grasses,  vegetable 
fibre,  shredded  inner  bark  and  plant  down,  woven  well 
together  and  bound  with  web  from  spider  or  cocoon, 
form  the  walls.  A  lining  of  softer  material,  with  occa- 
sionally a  few  feathers,  completes  the  cradle  which,  about 
the  middle  of  June,  will  contain  two  or  three  small  eggs. 
Both  parents  share  in  the  building  of  the  home,  though 
the  male  usually  prefers  to  bring  the  material  and  the 
female  to  weave  the  walls  to  her  own  liking.  She  alone 
broods  on  the  nest,  but  her  little  lover  sits  on  a  twig 
near  by,  calling  her  "  dear  "  in  sweetest  tones,  and  if  he 
makes  two  syllables  of  it,  the  meaning  is  just  as  clear. 
At  the  end  of  two  weeks  his  cocky  airs  tell  you  there 
are  babies  in  the  wee  nest,  and  that  upon  him  falls  the 
tremendous  responsibility  of  guarding  and  feeding  them. 
Small  butterflies,  gnats,  all  sorts  of  small  winged  insects 
are  the  orthodox  food  for  infant  flycatchers,  and  are 
swallowed  at  the  rate  of  one  every  two  minutes.  Nor 


204  LAND   BIRDS 

does  the  supply  ever  quite  equal  the  demand,  for  every 
visit  of  the  devoted  father  is  welcomed  with  wide-open 
mouths  and  quivering  wings.  At  first  all  this  feeding 
must  be  by  regurgitation,  the  adult  swallowing  the  in- 
sect first  and  partially  digesting  it  in  some  cases,  and  in 
others  merely  moistening  it  with  the  saliva.  After  four 
or  five  days  most  of  the  food  is  given  to  the  young  in 
a  fresh  state. 

474  a.    PALLID   HORNED   LARK,   OR   DESERT 

HORNED    LARK.  —  Otocoris  alpestris  leucolcema. 

FAMILY  :  The  Larks. 

length:  Male  7.50-8.00. 

Adult  Male  in  Breeding  Plumage:  Fore  part  of  crown,  cheeks,  horn-like 
tufts,  and  patch  on  the  breast  black  ;  white  stripe  across  forehead, 
extending  back  over  the  eyes ;  throat  and  sides  of  neck  white,  some- 
times washed  with  yellow ;  sides  of  breast,  nape,  and  upper  parts 
pale  cinnamon  ;  the  back  more  or  less  distinctly  streaked  with  darker  ; 
belly  white. 

Adult  Male  in  Fall  and  Winter:  Plumage  generally  softer  and  colors 
more  blended  ;  black  markings  more  or  less  obscured  ;  chest  often 
streaked  or  washed  with  gray. 

Adult  Female :  Similar  to  male,  but  decidedly  smaller  ;  black  on  the 
head  replaced  by  brownish  or  buffy;  the  back  reddish,  and  the 
plumage  streaked. 

Young :  Upper  parts  brownish,  white  parts  washed  with  buffy  ;  throat 
and  sides  of  the  head  spotted. 

Geographical  Distribution ':  Great  Plains  and  Great  Basin  of  the  United 
States  ;  migrating  in  winter  to  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range:  In  deserts  of  southeastern  region. 

Breeding  Season:  May  16  to  July  21. 

Nest:  On  the  ground;  well  built  of  grass,  roots,  and  bark  ;  lined  with 
hair  and  old  cocoons. 

Eggs:  3  ,to  4;  grayish,  irregularly  marked  with  brown.  Size  0.86 
X  0.60. 

IN  every  suitable  locality  throughout  the  great  State 
of  California  some  form  of  the  Horned  Lark  is  found. 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          205 

From  the  Sierra  Nevada  to  the  coast,  and  from  San 
Diego  north  to  the  vicinity  of  San  Francisco,  it  is  called 
the  "  Mexican  Horned  Lark  "  ;  in  the  upper  Sacramento 
valley  we  find  the  "  Ruddy "  and  south  through  the  in- 
terior to  San  Jose"  and  Santa  Barbara  the  "  Streaked." 
In  the  northeastern  corner,  east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
the  species  is  known  as  the  "  Dusky,"  and  that  found 
on  Santa  Barbara  Island  is  designated  as  the  "Island 
Horned  Lark."  The  distinction  between  these  forms  is 
one  of  size  and  color  of  plumage  rather  than  structure  or. 
habits ;  and  while  all  are  listed  for  purposes  of  identifi- 
cation, the  description  here  given  of  the  habits  of  the 
"  Pallid  "  or  "  Desert "  Horned  Lark  is  true  of  all. 

This  is  an  abundant  resident  in  the  deserts  of  South- 
eastern California,  east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  through 
the  Great  Plains  and  Great  Basin  of  the  United  States. 
It  is  characteristically  terrestrial  in  all  its  ways,  nesting 
and  feeding  on  the  ground,  and  is  never  found  in  heavily 
wooded  districts.  As  its  name  implies,  the  arid,  sandy 
regions  where  only  stunted  growth  is  found  are  the 
favorite  haunts  of  this  species.  The  others  of  its  fam- 
ily, while  equally  terrestrial,  prefer  fallow  fields,  prairies, 
meadows,  or  edges  of  wet  lowlands.  The  name  of 
Horned  Lark  has  been  given  them  on  account  of  the 
erectile  tufts  of  black  feathers  on  either  side  of  the  head, 
which,  in  anger,  surprise,  or  the  ardor  of  wooing,  stand 
erect  like  tiny  black  horns.  By  this  you  may  know 
them  at  first  sight  and  love  them  ever  after.  Except 
during  the  breeding  season,  these  birds  are  found  in 
flocks ;  but  as  soon  as  the  spring  rains  are  over  they 


206  LAND  BIRDS 

separate,  each  pair  preempting  a  quarter  section  of  land 
and  setting  up  a  homestead  claim.  Anywhere  in  the 
open,  sometimes  close  to  a  clump  of  sage,  sometimes 
almost  in  the  travelled  wagon  road,  the  little  nests  are 
made  in  a  saucer-like  hollow  in  the  ground.  The  only 
material  used  is  dry  buffalo  grass  or  fine  vegetation,  a 
small  quantity  of  which  usually  lines  the  nest  for  the 
earliest  brood.  In  the  second  brood,  however,  whether 
because  of  the  warmer  season  or  the  carelessness  of  cus- 
tom, the  eggs  are  often  laid  on  the  bare  ground,  with 
no  attempt  at  nest-building. 

While  the  mother  prepares  the  cradle,  the  father 
indulges  in  aerial  concerts.  You  may  hear  the  sweet, 
tinkling  music  while  yet  he  is  a  mere  speck  in  the  blue, 
tumbling  and  turning  with  the  rapture  of  his  song.  He 
calls  to  his  mate ;  she  hears,  you  may  be  sure,  and  in 
a  moment  she  too  is  frolicking  through  the  sunny  air 
as  if  life  held  no  such  word  as  care.  But  when  the 
snug  little  nest  holds  eggs,  she  foregoes  the  fun  of  a  chase 
over  the  fields  and  sits  patiently  for  nine  days,  in  heat 
so  intense  that  she  gasps  with  open  bill.  It  has  seemed 
to  me  the  eggs  would  be  cooked  if  left  too  long  exposed 
to  the  hot  desert  sun,  and  that  her  brooding  was  fully  as 
much  to  shield  them  from  his  fiery  rays  as  to  preserve 
them  from  the  cool  night  air  with  her  body.  If  sur- 
prised on  her  eggs,  the  mother  runs  a  few  yards  and 
begins  feeding  as  unconcernedly  as  possible ;  but  if  there 
are  young  in  the  nest,  both  parents  exhibit  great  dis- 
tress. Back  and  forth  over  the  field  they  fly,  crying 
"  tseet,  tseet ! "  in  pitifully  appealing  tones,  and  trying 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING  207 

to  muster  courage  sufficient  to  come  down  and  defend 
their  little  ones. 

The  young  larks  leave  the  nest  usually  on  the  ninth 
day  after  hatching,  although  one  brood  certainly  were 
gone  on  the  fourth  day,  and  one  remained  until  the 
tenth.  They  are  beautiful  babies,  of  soft  mottled  light 
and  dark  brown  and  cream  buffy ;  they  are  fed  by  both 
parents  until  fairly  well  grown,  when  the  male  takes 
entire  charge,  and  the  female  scratches  out  another  nest 
in  the  stubbly  grass  or  sand.  The  education  of  the 
family  thus  depends  entirely  on  the  father  bird,  who 
may  be  found  any  sunny  afternoon,  initiating  them  into 
the  mysteries  of  a  dust  bath,  or  standing  beside  them 
under  a  sagebush,  panting  in  the  terrible  heat  that 
beats  down  froni  the  cloudless  sky  and  up  from  the 
blistering  sand.  In  the  early  morning  you  can  watch 
them  feeding  on  the  insects  and  seeds  on  the  ground. 
A  little  later  in  the  season,  if  you  are  an  early  riser,  you 
may  witness  their  first  singing  lesson.  With  wide-eyed 
amazement  and  dawning  envy  they  have  watched  their 
father  rise  twittering  through  the  clear  air  ;  and,  one  by 
one,  they  learn  to  do  it  too.  The  first  I  ever  saw  start 
gave  a  little  bound,  uttered  a  weak  "  tweet,  tweet," 
and  fluttered  up  about  ten  feet  only  to  sink  back  again. 
But  he  was  full  of  triumph  and,  unable  to  contain  him- 
self any  longer,  soon  attempted  a  second  flight.  The 
method  is  very  like  that  of  the  bobolink,  though  the 
result  is  for  less  brilliant.  Yet  so  full  of  irrepressible 
joy  in  living  is  the  Horned  Lark  that  as  you  listen  you 
are  glad,  like  him,  just  to  be  alive. 


LAND   BIRDS 


474  e.  CALIFORNIA    HORNED   LARK.  —  Otocoris 
alpestris  actia. 

FAMILY  :  The  Larks. 

Length:  Male  6.75-7.25  ;  female  6.50-7.00. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  reddish,  more  brownish  in  female  ,  nape,  shoulders, 

and  rump  light  reddish  brown,  in  contrast  to  back  ;  breast  pure  white 

in  both  sexes. 
Geographical  Distribution:    Coast  district   of  California  and   south  to 

Lower  California. 
Breeding  Range :  West  of  Sierra  Nevada  from  San  Diego  to   Marin 

County. 

Breeding  Season:  April  15  to  June  15. 
Nest :  On  the  ground  ;  of  dried  grasses  ;  similar  to  that  of  pallid  horned 

lark. 
Eggs :  2  to  4  ;  resemble  those  of  the  pallid  horned  lark.  Size  0.82  X  0.60. 


474  f.    RUDDY    HORNED   LARK.  —  Otocoris  alpestris 
rubea. 

FAMILY  :  The  Larks. 

Length:  Male  6.50-7.00  ;  female  6.00-6.50. 

Adults:   Similar  to  the  Mexican  horned  lark,  but  smaller  and  brighter 

colored  ;  hind  neck,  shoulders,  and  rump  tawny  cinnamon  ;  forehead, 

superciliary,  and  throat  yellowish  ;  sides  marked  with  reddish  brown. 
Geographical  Distribution  :   California,  in  Sacramento  and  San  Joaquin 

valleys. 

California  Breeding  Range  :  Upper  Sacramento  valley. 
Breeding  Season:  May  to  June  10. 
Nest :  Usually  placed  in  a  depression  on  the  ground  under  a  small  bush, 

a  tuft  of  grass,  vines  by  the  side  of  a  clod  of  earth,  or  a  small  rock  ; 

sometimes  in  a  cultivated  field  ;   composed  of  fine  straw  and  grasses  ; 

lined  with  horsehair. 
Eggs:   2  to  4  ;  pale  olive  buff,  finely  sprinkled  with  rusty  gray.     Size 

0.82  X  0.54. 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING 


474  g.    STREAKED  HORNED   LARK.  —  Otocoris  alpestris 
strigata. 

FAMILY  :  The  Larks. 

Length:  Male  6.75-7.25  ;  female  6.25-6.50. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  dull  olive-brown  ;  back  broadly  and  conspicu- 
ously streaked  with  black ;  nape  and  rump  ruddy ;  under  parts 
generally  pale  yellow. 

Adult  Female :  Similar,  but  upper  parts  more  olivaceous  and  more  dis- 
tinctly streaked. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Coast  districts  of  Oregon,  Washington,  and 
British  Columbia,  west  of  the  Cascade  Mountains,  south  in  winter  to 
Southern  California. 

Breeding  Range :  Coast  region  of  British  Columbia,  Washington,  Ore- 
gon, and  possibly  the  northwestern  corner  of  California. 

Breeding  Season :  May. 

Nest :  On  the  ground,  in  a  depression  ;  of  grass  stems,  and  lined  with 
cattle  hair. 

Eggs:   3  or  4  ;  grayish  or  pale  greenish  tint.     Size  0.83  X  0.56. 


524.    GRAY-CROWNED  LEUCOSTICTE.  —  Leucosticte 
tephrocotis, 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  5.75-6.85. 

Adult  Male :  General  plumage  deep  cinnamon-brown  ;  forehead  and  fore 
part  of  crown  black  ;  rest  of  head  gray,  but  not  spreading  down  over 
ear-coverts  ;  bill  black  ;  back,  rump,  and  belly  streaked  with  black- 
ish ;  upper  tail-coverts,  wings,  and  tail  more  or  less  tinged  with  pink  ; 
winter  plumage  edged  with  whitish  ;  black  crown  smaller  ;  bill  yellow, 
tipped  with  black. 

Adult  Female:  Similar  to  male,  but  colors  paler  and  duller;  same 
change  in  winter. 

Young :  General  plumage  brownish,  without  the  characteristic  markings 
of  the  male. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Along  the  crests  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  and 
the   Sierra   Nevada  and  the  highest  peaks  of  the   Cascades,  from 
British  America  south  to  Mexico. 
14 


210 


LAND  BIRDS 


California  Breeding  Range:  Locally  in  the  tipper  Boreal  along  the 
Sierra  Nevada  from  Mt.  Shasta  south  to  Mt.  Whitney. 

Breeding  Season :  June. 

Nest:  Carelessly  arranged  on  a  ledge  of  a  bluff,  or  in  a  small  crevice  ; 
composed  of  wild  parsnip  stalks,  coarse  grass  stems,  and  lined  with 
finer  grasses. 

Eggs:  4  or  5 ;  white.     Size  0.97  X  0.67. 


WHERE  the  range  of  the  Pipilo  ends  that  of  the  Leucos- 
ticte  begins.     Far  above  the  timber  line,  amid  a  wilder- 
ness of  snow-clad  peaks  these  Alpine 
dwellers  have  their  home.     Only  the 
severest  storms  of  winter  are  able  to 
drive    them    to    the    shelter   of  the 
forest.      Flying   high   over  the   top- 
most peak  of  the  range,  searching  in 
the  snow  for  beetles  and  bugs  that 
a    kind     Providence    sends     there    for 
their    special    nourishment,    they    lead 
charmed   lives.     Even  bumblebees  and 
butterflies   are  on  their   menu,  coming 
as  mysteriously  as  do  the  birds  them- 
selves.    When    storms    swirl    over   the 
summit,  they  crowd  together  in  the  shelter 
of  a  rock  or  a  snowbank.    When  the  sun 
comes  out  again,  they  are  off  for  a  frolic 
over  the  chasms  and  gulches,  or  a  dip  in 
the  icy  water  of  the  glacial  lake.     They 
are  constantly  in  motion,  and  their 
524   GRAY-  ""**,"  V  clear,  low  "churr"  is  the  embodi- 

CROWNED  ment  Of  gayety.      Somewhat   shy 

LEUCOSTICTE.          »•  °  J     J  J 

"Searching  inthe^ow^     during  the  breeding  season,  as  soon 

for  beetles  and  bugs." 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          211 

as  the  family  cares  are  over  they  become  as  friendly  as 
possible  with  the  few  who  invade  their  haunts. 

The  nest  is  snugly  hidden  in  a  cleft  in  the  rock  under- 
neath a  crag,  where  the  fury  of  the  storm  will  pass  it  by. 
It  is  not  an  elaborate  affair,  but  composed  of  weed  stalks, 
and  lined  with  deer  moss  and  occasionally  a  few  feathers. 
Late  in  June  incubation  begins,  and  it  continues  four- 
teen days.  The  newly  hatched  young  are  only  thinly 
sprinkled  with  hair-like  gray  down  and  look  not  unlike 
baby  j uncos.  They  remain  in  the  nest  fully  three  weeks, 
and  by  the  middle  of  August  are  able  to  fly  nearly  as 
well  as  the  adults.  In  September  the  broods  of  the 
vicinity  unite  in  bands  of  one  or  two  families,  frolicking 
and  chattering  about  the  summit  as  if  it  were  mid- 
summer, and  braving  the  snowstorms  until  the  cold 
dark  November  days  drive  them  to  the  firs  for  shelter 
at  night.  Even  then  the  adults  fly  back  to  the  crests 
during  the  sunny  hours,  as  if  homesick  for  the  bare, 
bleak  crags  and  the  broad  vista  of  snowy  peaks.  By 
December  they  are  well  within  the  forest,  whirling  from 
place  to  place  in  masses  like  juncos,  and  sleeping  huddled 
together  in  the  heavy  firs,  sometimes  almost  buried  in 
the  snow  but  always  sure  of  a  joyous  resurrection  in  the 
morning. 

533.    PINE   SISKIN,  OR   PINE   FINCH.  —  Spinus  pinus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  4.50-5.25. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  grayish  or  brownish;  under  parts  whitish  ;  whole 

body  finely  streaked  with  brown  ;  sulphur-yellow  patches  on  wings 

and  tail. 


212  LAND   BIRDS 

Young:   Upper    parts  bright    greenish   yellow,   tinged  with   brownish 

yellow  ;  feathers  streaked,  except  on  belly  ;  wing-bauds  and  patches 

brown. 
Geographical  Distribution  :  Northern  North  America,  west  to  the  Pacific, 

south  in  winter  to  Gulf  States  and  Mexico. 
California  Breeding  Range :   In  Boreal  and  Transition  zones,  along  the 

Sierra  Nevada  forests,  south  through  the  San  Bernardino  mountains ; 

also  in  Santa  Cruz  mountains. 
Breeding  Season  :  May  and  June. 
Nest :  Usually  a  rather  flat  compact  structure  of  fine  twigs,  pine  needles, 

grasses,  rootlets,  and  plant  fibres  ;  lined  with  line  rootlets  and  hair  ; 

placed  generally  in  pine  or  cedar  trees,  from  20  to  35  feet  from  the 

ground. 
Eggs;  3  or  4  ;  pale  greenish  blue,  spotted  with  various  shades  of  brown, 

especially  at  the  larger  end.     Size  0.67  X  0.48. 

HIGH  up  in  the  mountains  the  tramper  will  find  these 
fascinating  little  birds  flitting  through  the  pines,  flashing 
a  glint  of  yellow  from  wings  and  tails  as  they  dash  from 
tree  to  tree. 

Wherever  a  pine  cone  offers  its  seeds,  or  a  clump  of 
weeds  hangs  full  of  brown  pods,  a  banquet  is  spread  for 
the  Siskins.  With  a  merry  note,  strikingly  like  the 
"  per-chic-o-ree  "  of  the  goldfinches,  they  settle  down  to 
the  feast,  only  to  rise  and  fly  farther  on  as  the  whim 
seizes  them.  The  flight  also  is  of  the  graceful,  undulat- 
ing character,  as  the  flight  of  the  goldfinch,  as  if  the 
birds  were  playing  with  the  air  rather  than  trying  to  go 
somewhere.  Yet  they  can  fly  with  speed  and  strength, 
and  in  the  breeding  season  they  indulge  in  dizzy  aerial 
gymnastics,  accompanied  by  their  own  merry  music. 
Their  song  is  a  wheezy  little  tune  in  the  ascending  scale, 
—  a  kind  of  crescendo,  —  which  sounds  as  if  it  were 
produced  by  inhalation  rather  than  by  exhalation,  but  so 
bubbling  over  with  gladness  as  to  be  enchanting. 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING  213 

The  nest  of  these  charming  feathered  romps  is  high  in 
a  pine  tree  on  the  steep  side  of  a  canon,  so  inaccessible 
that  never  have  I  looked  into  one.  After  the  broods  are 
reared  and  able  to  look  out  for  themselves,  the  Pine 
Siskins  band  together  in  small  flocks.  So  long  as  every 
bit  of  food  is  not  covered  with  snow  too  deep  for  shak- 
ing off,  they  feast  and  frolic  among  the  scrubby  pines  of 
the  mountains  until  storms  drive  them  to  the  foot-hills. 


540  a.    WESTERN   VESPER   SPARROW.  —  Poaxete* 
gramineus  conjinis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  6.00-6.75. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  brownish  gray,  everywhere  streaked  with  dusky ; 

bend  of  wing  reddish  brown  ;  outer  tail-feathers  mostly  white  ;  under 

parts  pale  buffy  white  ;   streaked  along  sides  of  throat  and  across 

chest  with  dark  grayish  brown. 
Young  :  Similar  to  adult,  but  markings  less  distinct. 
Geographical  Distribution :    Western    North  America,  north  to  British 

America,  east  to  Manitoba,  south  to  Lower  California  and  Mexico. 
California  Breeding  Range :  In  the  valleys  east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 
Nest :  On  the  ground  ;  of  dried  grass. 
Eggs :  3  to  6  ;  pale  buffy,  or  dull  whitish,  often  blotched  and  streaked 

with  reddish  brown  and  lavender.     Size  0.80  X  0.60. 

THE  hall  marks  of  this  dull-colored  haunter  of  grassy 
upland  meadows  and  roadside  thickets  are  its  pale  red- 
brown  shoulders  and  white  outer  tail-feathers,  shown  as 
it  flies  low  over  the  ground  ahead  of  you.  Rarely  does 
it  venture  higher  than  the  top  of  a  fence  post,  or  the  low 
branch  of  a  scrub  pine,  to  sing  its  quaint  melodious  ves- 
per hymn.  As  the  sun  sinks  behind  the  dark  trees  it 


214  LAND  BIRDS 

begins  its  chant,  to  end  only  when  all  the  world  is  asleep, 
and  when  its  music  alone  breaks  the  silence  of  the 
forest. 

Hidden  deep  in  the  grass  of  the  meadow  is  its  nest, 
woven  of  grass  and  rootlets,  and  roofed  with  leaning 
green  spears.  Here,  rendered  doubly  safe  by  her  protec- 
tive coloring,  the  pretty  brown  mother  broods  for  twelve 
days,  and  though  you  may  locate  the  spot  you  will  find 
her  difficult  to  discover.  I  have  actually  put  my  hand 
down  within  a  few  inches  of  the  nest  without  noticing  it, 
even  when  I  was  looking  for  it.  The  young  are  born 
without  feathers  and  are  blind,  like  most  young  birds ; 
but  they  soon  don  coats  of  soft  brown,  indistinctly 
streaked  with  darker,  and,  did  not  their  open  mouths 
stretched  up  for  food  betray  them,  they  would,  I  am 
sure,  never  be  discovered.  The  feeding  is  by  regurgita- 
tion  for  the  first  four  days.  In  eight  to  ten  days  they 
are  feathered,  and  leave  the  nest,  though  unable  to  fly. 
Like  the  meadowlarks,  they  remain  hidden  in  the  long 
grass,  fed  by  both  parents,  and  gradually  becoming  ex- 
pert in  picking  up  bugs  for  themselves. 

In  the  fall  the  broods  flock  together  in  small  com- 
panies, and  leaving  the  high  altitude  of  the  breeding 
grounds,  gradually  work  down  to  the  brush-covered 
foot-hills  for  winter  food  and  shelter. 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          215 


542  b.  WESTERN   SAVANNA   SPARROW.  —  Passer- 
culus  sandrvichensis  alaudinus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  4.75-5.90. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  brownish  gray,  streaked  with  black  ;  the  streaks  in 
sharp  contrast  to  feather-edgings  of  whitish,  grayish,  or  buffy  ;  crown 
stripe  and  superciliary  usually  yellow,  sometimes  white. 

Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  light  markings  more  buffy  ;  under  parts 
less  distinctly  marked ;  superciliary  stripe  usually  without  yellow, 
and  finely  streaked. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  North  America,  from  Alaska  south 
in  winter  to  Guatemala. 

California  Breeding  Range :  In  valleys  east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  re- 
corded from  Owens  Lake. 

Breeding  Season  :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  On  the  ground,  in  meadows  or  other  grassy  places. 

Eggs :  3  to  6  ;  pale  brownish,  varying  to  dull  whitish  or  greenish  white, 
spotted  with  brown.  Size  0.75  X  0.55. 

WHEN  on  a  tramp  through  salt  marsh  or  upland 
meadow  you  flush  a  sparrow-like  bird,  with  more  white 
in  its  plumage  than  most  sparrows,  and  with  yellow 
about  the  eye  and  on  the  band  of  the  wing,  you  may 
write  it  down  tentatively  as  a  Western  Savanna  Sparrow. 
If,  a  little  later,  you  find  it  swinging  on  a  grass  stem, 
uttering  its  "  weak  little  insect-like  trill,"  you  may  be 
sure  of  its  identity.  He  is  one  of  the  hardest  of  all  the 
sparrow  tribe  to  observe,  and  the  one  least  apt  to  be  dis- 
covered by  the  bird-lover,  because  the  moment  he  be- 
comes aware  of  your  presence  he  drops  into  the  grass 
and  refuses  to  come  into  view.  Even  when  flushed,  his 
flight  is  merely  a  short  zigzag  to  the  nearest  cover.  Yet 
although  you  find  so  few,  there  are  doubtless  a  large 


216  LAND   BIRDS 

number  hidden  in  the  weed  patches  and  nesting  in  the 
wiry  marsh  grass.  His  song  at  best  is  so  weak  and  low 
as  to  seem  like  the  note  of  an  insect,  to  one  who  has 
never  heard  it,  and  is  not  likely  to  attract  attention 
unless  the  listener  is  very  near. 

In   nesting   habits   the   Savanna  resembles  the   field 
sparrow  described  elsewhere. 


542  c.  BRYANT    MARSH    SPARROW.  —  Passerculus 
sandwichensis  bryanti. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  4.78-5.30. 

Adults:    Similar  to   the    Western   savanna   sparrow,    but   darker   and 

browner,  with  sides  and  breast  usually  more  heavily  streaked ;  the 

whole  head  often  tinged  with  yellow. 
Geographical  Distribution  :  Salt  marshes  about  San  Francisco  Bay,  south 

in  winter  along  the  coast  to  the  San  Diegari  district. 
California  Breeding  Range  :  On  marshes  of  San  Francisco  and  Monterey 

Bays. 

Breeding  Season :  May. 

Nest :  Placed  on  the  ground,  usually  in  a  slight  depression. 
Eggs :  4  or  5  ;  grayish  white,  irregularly  blotched  with  shades  of  brown 

and  marked  with  light  purple.     Size  0.73  X  0.57. 

AMONG  the  thick  rushes  of  the  San  Francisco  Bay 
marshes  the  Bryant  Marsh  Sparrow  makes  its  home. 
There  you  may  find  it  swinging  on  a  tule  or  warbling  a 
short  sweet  song,  as  it  flies  out  over  the  tangled  sedges. 
Its  nest  is  made  on  the  ground  among  the  coarse 
meadow  grass  at  a  safe  distance  from  the  edge  of  the 
marsh,  to  escape  high  tides.  Here  in  the  thickest  tus- 
sock, or  perhaps  in  a  hollow  in  the  soil,  a  thin  mat  of 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  217 

grass  is  scratched  together  and  serves  as  a  nursery.  It 
is  always  more  or  less  damp,  but  this  does  not  to  any 
marked  degree  interfere  with  the  hatching.  When  near 
their  nests  these  birds  skulk  through  the  rushes  in  the 
same  manner  as  a  rail,  straddling  along  with  one  foot  on 
one  tule  and  the  other  on  a  second.  In  the  shadow  of 
the  rushes  one  might  easily  mistake  them  for  little  black 
rails.  After  the  four  weeks  of  this  constant  brushing 
through  the  rushes  to  and  from  the  nest,  both  parents 
present  a  decidedly  threadbare  appearance,  and  their 
tails  are  often  almost  as  stringy  as  a  rat's.  Incubation 
lasts  thirteen  days,  and  the  young  remain  in  the  nest 
ten  days  longer.  They  are  fed  mostly  upon  insects 
picked  up  in  the  damp  grass  or  at  the  edge  of  the 
water. 


543.  BELDING   MARSH    SPARROW.  —  Passerculus 
beldingi. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  5.00-5.25. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  olive-brown,  with  broad  black  streaks  on  back  ; 
superciliary  and  median  crown-stripe  very  indistinct  or  wanting  ;  fore- 
part of  superciliary  stripe  greenish  yellow  ;  sides  of  head  and  neck 
darker ;  under  parts  more  thickly  and  heavily  marked  with  black  ; 
under  tail-coverts  with  concealed  streaks. 

Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  upper  parts  more  buffy  ;  superciliary 
finely  streaked  and  usually  without  yellow  ;  under  parts  less  dis- 
tinctly streaked. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Salt  marshes  of  Southern  California  south  to 
Lower  California  and  Todos  Santos  Island. 

California  Breeding  Range  :  On  southern  coast  marshes  from  Port  Har- 
ford  to  National  City. 

Breeding  Season :  May. 


218  LAND  BIRDS 

Nest:  Placed  in  salt  marsh  mud,  raised  about  6  inches  from  the 
ground;  made  of  weed  stalks,  grass,  horsehair,  or  feathers. 

Eggs :  3 ;  light  blue,  marked  with  lavender  specks ;  reddish  brown 
blotches  principally  at  the  larger  end.  Size  0.78  X  0.58. 

THE  Belding  Marsh  Sparrow  is  abundant  on  the 
salt  marshes  near  the  coast  of  Southern  California  from 
Santa  Barbara  south  to  Lower  California.  It  replaces 
the  Bryant  marsh  sparrow  of  the  San  Francisco  Bay 
region.  Like  the  latter,  its  nest  is  a  thin  mat  of  grass 
on  the  ground  as  near  the  edge  of  the  marsh  as  the  tide 
will  allow.  In  the  vicinity  of  National  City,  San  Diego 
County,  the  nests  outnumber  those  of  any  other  sparrow. 
Many  of  them  are  placed  on  tussocks  of  grass,  which 
raise  them  several  inches  above  the  ground.  Even  then 
they  are  usually  quite  damp,  and  we  might  expect  to 
find  the  eggs  addled,  which  they  doubtless  would  be 
were  not  the  water  salt.  In  May,  or  early  June,  the 
newly  hatched,  naked,  pinky  grayish  nestlings  are  to  bo 
found  wriggling  their  wrinkled  necks  and  opening  their 
tiny  mouths  for  food.  This  consists  of  the  insects  picked 
up  from  the  wet  vegetation,  and  the  seeds  of  marsh 
plants  given  at  first  by  regurgitation.  By  June  20  the 
young  sparrows  are  looking  out  for  themselves,  secure 
in  their  protective  coloring  in  the  long  grass. 

544.  LARGE-BILLED   SPARROW.  —  Passerculus 

rostratus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  5.30. 

Adults:    Upper  parts  light  grayish  brown,  indistinctly  streaked  with 

darker :    under   parts   streaked   with   rusty   brown :    bill   long   and 

swollen  and  regularly  curved  from  the  base. 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING 


219 


Geographical  Distribution:    Coast  of  Southern  and   Lower  California; 

south  in  winter  to  Cape  St.   Lucas  and  Mexico. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Along  the  salt  marshes  of  the  coast  from 

the  San  Diegan  district  north  to  Santa  Barbara. 
Nest  and  Eggs  :  Similar  to  those  of  the  Beldiug    f  J\' 

marsh  sparrow. 

THE  Large-billed  Sparrow  is  found 
in   the  winter   along   the   seacoast   of 
Southern  California  from  Santa 
Barbara  to  San  Diego,  usually 
close    to    the   water ;    at    San 
Pedro    it    might     be 
called  the  Harbor 
Sparrow,,   as,    according  to     '*= 
Mr.    Grinnell,    it   frequents 
the  decks  of  vessels  and  haunts 
the    wharves   and    breakwaters.     Its 
breeding  habits  are  so  similar  to  those 
of  the  fielding  marsh  sparrow  that  no 
separate  description  is  necessary.     It 
may  be  known  from  all  its  kinsfolk 
by  its  large  bill  and  the  uniform  pale 
brown  of  its  upper  parts. 


544.    LARGE-BILLED 
SPARROW. 


"  It  haunts  the  wharves 
<md  breakwaters." 


546  a.    WESTERN    GRASSHOPPER   SPARROW.  —  Am- 
modramus  savannarum  bimaculaiiis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  5.00-5.50. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  reddish  brown,  black,  gray,  and  buff'y  ;  feathers  of 
back  spotted  with  black  and  brown  ;  median  crown-stripe  buffy, 
bordered  on  each  side  with  blackish  stripes  ;  nuchal  patch  dull  gray, 


220  LAND   BIRDS 

marked  with  reddish  brown  ;   edge  of  wings  yellow  ;   under  parts 

plain  buffy  on  throat  and  sides  ;  belly  white. 
Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  with  little  or  no  reddish  brown  on  upper 

parts,  feathers  being  more  conspicuously  bordered   with  pale  buffy 

and  whitish  ;  median  crown-stripe  more  ashy  ;  under  parts  dull  huffy - 

whitish  ;  chest  distinctly  streaked  with  dusky. 
Geographical  Distribution  :  Western  United  States  east  to  Great  Plains, 

from  British  Columbia  to  Southern  California  and  Arizona. 
California  Breeding  Range :  West  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  in  valleys  north 

to  Sacramento,  south  to  San  Diego. 
Breeding  Season :  April,  May,  and  June. 
Nest :  On  ground  ;  rather  bulky  and  deep ;  sometimes  partially  arched 

over  ;  made  of  dried  grasses. 
Eggs :  3  to  5  ;  white,  spotted  with  reddish  brown,   mixed  with  a  few 

markings  of  black  and  lilac,  mostly  at  the  larger  end.     Size  0.75  X 

0.57. 

As  its  name  implies,  this  tiny  brown  bird  hides  away 
in  the  grass  and  low  shrubbery,  like  a  wee  brown  mouse 
or  a  big  brown  grasshopper.  Its  weak,  shrill  "  zee- 
ee-ee,"  so  like  the  song  of  an  insect,  is  readily  passed  by 
as  belonging  to  such  in  the  medley  of  meadow  music, 
unless  the  listener  is  close  to  the  little  musician.  It  is 
even  better  known  as  the  "  Yellow-winged  Sparrow  "  on 
account  of  the  bright  lemon-color  at  the  bend  of  the 
wing.  It  is  so  shy  that  one  seldom  catches  a  glimpse  of 
it,  and  "  none  but  the  grazing  cattle  know  how  many 
nests  and  birds  are  hidden  in  their  pastures."  Instead 
of  flying  up  when  alarmed,  it  runs  deeper  into  the  grass, 
and  is  seldom  flushed.  If  driven  to  desperation  by  close 
quarters  it  may  dart  out  in  a  short  zigzag  flight  of  a  few 
yards  and  seek  the  first  concealment  that  offers.  Unlike 
most  sparrows,  it  feeds  mostly  upon  insects,  and  is  of 
incalculable  benefit  to  the  farmer.  Its  nest  is  hidden  in 
the  meadow  grass,  and  differs  from  that  of  most  other 
ground  birds  in  being  deep  and  arched  over. 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  221 

552  a.    WTESTERN    LARK   SPARROW.  —  Chondestes 
grammacus  strigatus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  6.50-7.25. 
Adults  :  Upper  parts  brown- 
ish or  brownish  gray,  the 

back  streaked  with   blackish  ;   crown  and 

ear-coverts   chestnut    with    median    stripe 

white   or  buffy ;   black  and   white  streaks 

on  side   of  head,    bordering  the   chestnut 

patch,  also  a  black  streak  along  each  side 

of  throat  ;  a  small  black    spot   on   middle 

of  chest  ;  tail  dark  brown,  all  but  middle 

feathers    tipped   with  white  ;   under  parts 

white,  with  a  small  black  spot  on  breast. 
Young :    Upper    parts    buffy ;    head   without 

chestnut    crown  or   patches  or  black  and  white   stre 

chest  streaked  with  dusky. 
Geographical  Distribution :    Western   United    States    east    to 

Great  Plains  and  Middle  Texas,  south  to  Mexico,  north  to 

British  Columbia. 
California  Breeding  Range:    Upper   Sonoran  zone,   chiefly  in 

interior  valleys  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season:  May  and  June. 
Nest :  Of  dried  grasses,  plant  stems,  and  fibres ;  placed  on  the 

ground,  or  in  bushes  and  trees. 
Eggs:  3  to  6  ;  white  or  pale  bluish  or  brownish,  speckled  and 

lined,   chiefly  on  the   larger  end,  with   black  and   brown.  ?  ^r 

Size  0.50  X  0.60. 

THE  Lark  Sparrow  is  one  of  the  sweetest 
singers,  as  well  as  one  of  the  most  abundant  of 
the  Western  sparrows.  Walking  along  the  * 
country  roadside  at  any  hour  of  the  day  during 
April,  May,  or  June,  one  is  likely  to  hear  "  a 
gush  of  silvery  notes  accompanied  by  a  metallic 
tremolo,"  and  find  the  singer  swinging  on  a  weed 

552  a.  WESTERN 

LAIIK  SPARROW. 

"  The  singer." 


222  LAND  BIRDS 

stalk  or  on  a  low  bush,  ruffling  his  little  throat  with  a 
continuous  flow  of  music.  Or  he  may  be  caught  dancing 
before  his  demure  brown  sweetheart,  ecstatically  pouring 
out  melody.  It  is  difficult  to  go  anywhere  in  the  inte- 
rior valleys  of  California  and  not  see  him.  His  striped 
head  and  white-bordered  tail  and  sweet  song  are  the 
characteristics  by  which  you  may  identify  him. 

His  nest  is  usually  well  hidden,  either  on  the  ground 
or  in  low  bushes,  and  in  going  to  it  he  skulks  through 
the  intervening  foliage  in  a  secretive  fashion  hard  to 
follow.  The  young  are  like  those  of  his  kind,  naked, 
except  for  thin  down,  and  blind  for  the  first  few  days, 
during  which  they  are  fed  by  regurgitation.  They  are 
well  feathered  on  the  tenth  day,  and  at  this  stage  scram- 
ble out  of  the  nest  at  the  approach  of  danger.  Like 
young  meadowlarks  they  spend  their  babyhood  days  in 
the  concealment  afforded  by  the  grass  and  thickets,  and 
not  until  able  to  fly  do  they  follow  the  adults  to  the 
more  conspicuous  feeding  grounds. 


554.    WHITE-CROWNED   SPARROW.  —  Zonotrichia 

leucophrys. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  6.50-7.50. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  back  streaked  with  brown  or  black  ; 
crown  with  median  white  stripe,  having  lateral  deep  black  stripe  ;  a 
broad  white  superciliary  stripe,  below  which  is  a  narrower  black 
stripe  behind  the  eye ;  edge  of  wing  white  ;  under  parts  plain  gray. 

Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  head  striped  brown  and  buffy  instead  of 
black  and  white  ;  under  parts  very  light  brown  ;  breast,  sides  of 
throat,  and  sides  of  belly  streaked. 

Geographical  Distribution:    United  States  and  Canada,  north  to   Lab- 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING  223 

rador  ;  in  winter  migrates  stragglingly  over  the  whole  of  the  United 

States  and  south  into  Mexico. 
California  Breeding  Range :  In  the  higher  Sierra  Nevada  as  far  south 

as  Mt.   Whitney. 
Breeding  Season  :  June  and  July. 
Nest :  Composed  of  fine  twigs,  weed  stalks,  and  coarse  material ;  lined 

with  fine  grasses  and  hair ;  placed  on  the  ground  or  in  low  bushes. 
Eggs:   3  to  5  ;  pale  greenish  blue,  speckled  with  light  reddish  brown, 

more  thickly  at  the  large  end.     Size  0.89  X  0.63. 

As  the  snow  disappears  from  the  sides  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  the  White-crowned  Sparrow  follows  in  its  wake, 
higher  and  higher,  until  it  reaches  the  extreme  limit  of 
the  willows.  Among  the  dense  thickets  that  border  the 
upper  edge  of  the  timber  line  it  is  most  abundant,  and 
during  June,  July,  and  August  its  song  rings  constantly, 
fine  and  clear.  During  the  breeding  season  it  haunts  the 
willows  along  the  mountain  meadows,  placing  its  nest 
on  the  ground,  or,  more  commonly,  in  the  lower  branches. 
Its  nest  and  young  can  with  difficulty  be  told  from  those 
of  the  song  sparrow ;  and  as  it  scratches  among  the  dry 
leaves  of  the  underbrush  for  insects  with  which  to  feed 
the  nestlings,  its  manner  distinctly  suggests  the  latter. 
But  here  the  resemblance  ends ;  the  White-crowned 
Sparrow  is  distinguished  by  its  white  crown  and  plain 
gray  breast,  as  well  as  by  its  large  handsome  form. 

When  there  are  eggs  or  young  in  the  nest,  the  male 
sings  early  and  late,  often  piping  his  clear  whistle  when 
all  the  world  is  silent.  I  have  heard  him  at  intervals 
until  long  past  midnight,  as  if  the  joy  of  parenthood 
forced  him  to  waken  and  give  to  his  sleepy  mate  and 
little  brood  below  the  assurance  that  u  All 's  well."  Evi- 
dently the  singer  needs  little  rest,  for  with  the  earliest 


224  LAND   BIRDS 

dawn  the  whole  thicket  rings  with  his  melody,  rousing 
the  more  drowsy  willow-dwellers  to  rejoice  with  him. 
"  The  ballad  singer  of  the  mountains,"  some  one  has 
called  him. 

His  is  a  vertical  as  well  as  longitudinal  migration,  for 
when  the  September  snow-flurries  threaten,  the  various 
broods  form  a  straggling  flock  that  retreat  slowly  before 
the  cold,  until  in  October  they  have  reached  the  valleys 
of  Southern  California,  and  pass  on  farther  south. 

554  a.  GAMBEL   SPARROW,   OR   INTERMEDIATE 
SPARROW.  —  Zonotrichia  leucophrys  gambeli. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  5.75-6.75. 

Adults:   Similar  to  the  white-crowned  sparrow,  but  edge  of  wing  pale 

yellow  instead  of  white,  and  lores  white  or  buffy  instead  of  black, 

and  white  superciliary  stripe  extending  to  bill. 
Geographical   Distribution :    Coast   ranges   of  California   and   north  to 

British    Columbia,    straggling  east   as   far  as   Iowa,    and   south   to 

Mexico. 

Breeding  Range :  From  Alaska  and  Montana  to  Eastern  Oregon. 
Breeding  Season:  June  15  to  July  15. 
Nest:  Similar   to  that  of  the  white-crowned  sparrow,   but  placed  in 

bushes,  trees,  and  thick  clumps  of  weeds. 
Eggs:  Similar  to  those  of  the  white-crowned  sparrow,  but  tinged  with 

rusty  brown. 

IN  form,  coloring,  and  habits  the  Gambel  Sparrow, 
or  Intermediate  Sparrow,  closely  resembles  the  white- 
crowned,  of  which  it  is  a  subspecies.  It  breeds  in  the 
far  north,  returning  to  California  in  October,  and  is  an 
abundant  winter  visitant  throughout  the  State.  For 
nesting  habits,  see  "  White-crowned  Sparrow." 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          225 


554  b.    NUTTALL   SPARROW.  —Zonotrichia  leucophrys 
nuttalli. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  6.00-7.00. 

Adults:  Like  the  white-crowned  sparrow,  but  white  superciliary  stripe 

extending  to  bill ;  lores  white,  and  general  coloration  brown. 
Geographical  Distribution:   British   Columbia   to  Southern  California, 

south  in  winter  to  Lower  California. 
California  Breeding  Range:    Humid  coast  belt  from  Oregon  south  to 

Point  Sur. 

Breeding  Season:  March  15  to  May  1. 
Nest :  Bulky  ;  of  weed  stems,  and  lined  with  grasses  ;  placed  in  thick 

clumps  of  weeds  or  low  trees  or  bushes. 
Eggs :  3  to  5  ;  pale  greenish  blue,  spotted  with  pale  rusty.     Size  0.87  X 

0.64. 

LIKE  the  intermediate  sparrow,  the  Nuttall  Sparrow  is 
also  a  subspecies  of  the  white-crowned,  and  similar  in 
habits.  It  is  a  resident  of  the  coast  belt  in  the  vicinity 
of  Santa  Cruz,  and  straggles  as  far  south  as  Los  Angeles 
in  winter. 


557.    GOLDEN-CROWNED   SPARROW.  —  Zonotrichia 
coronata. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  7.00-8.00. 

Adults:    Upper   parts  olive-brown,   streaked   on  the  back  with  rusty 
black  ;  two  white  wing-bars  ;  middle  of  crown  yellow,  between  two 
black  lines,   the  yellow  merging  to  gray  for  the  last  third  ;  under 
•  parts  gray,  tinged  with  brown  on  sides. 

Young :  Similar,  with  forehead  suffused  with  yellow,  and  black  crown- 
stripes  streaked  with  brown  ;  under  parts  soiled  white. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  Coast,  Southern  California  to  Alaska, 
straggling  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  and  Wisconsin, 

Breeding  Range. :  Alaska. 

Breeding  Season :  June. 

15 


LAND   BIRDS 


Nest :  Of  weed  steins  ;  lined  with  grasses  ;  placed  in  alder  inches. 
Eggs:   4  to  5  ;   pale  greenish  blue,  heavily  spotted  with  pale  reddish 
brown.     Size  0.90  X  0.66. 

LIKE  the  Gambel  sparrow,  the  Golden-crowned  Spar- 
row is  found  in  California  during  the  winter  months 
only.  He  occurs  at 
this  season  through- 
out the  length  of  the 
State  west  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  and 
is  oftenest  found  near 
the  haunts  of  men. 
City  parks  and  door- 
yards  are  not  infre- 


557.   GOLDEN-CROWNED  SPARROW. 
"Their  food  ii  chiefly  weed  seeds  and  winter  berries." 

quently  his  banquet  hall,  and  he  regards 
human  friends  almost  as  trustfully  as  do  his 
less  welcome  English  cousins  in  the  East. 
Along  the  foot-hills  the  Golden-crowned  fre- 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING  227 

quents  the  thickets,  keeping  on  rather  than  in  the  bushes. 
Other  varieties,  especially  white  crowned  and  gambeli,  are 
often  found  in  a  flock  of  the  Goldens,  and  are  evidently 
received  into  the  freemasonry  of  good-fellowship.  Their 
food  is  chiefly  weed  seeds  and  winter  berries,  but  insects 
are  also  eaten,  and  occasionally  caterpillars. 

560  a.  WESTERN    CHIPPING   SPARROW.  —  Spizella 
passerina  arizonce. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  5.00-6.00. 

Adults:  Back  light  brown,  narrowly  streaked  with  black;  rump  and 
tail  gray  ;  top  of  head  reddish  brown,  sometimes  streaked  with  ashy 
and  dark  ;  forehead  black,  with  short  white  median  line  ;  super- 
ciliary line  white  ;  narrow  line  through  the  eye  black  ;  sides  of  head 
gray  ;  under  parts  gray,  whiter  on  chest,  and  throat  uustreaked  ;  bill 
black. 

Young  :  Top  of  head  streaked  brown  and  black  ;  breast  streaked. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  North  America,  east  to  Rocky 
Mountains,  north  to  beyond  latitude  60°  in  summer  ;  south  in  winter 
to  Southern  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Upper  Souoran  to  Boreal  zone,  nearly 
throughout  the  State. 

Breeding  Season  :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  Of  fine  grasses  ;  lined  smoothly  with  horsehair  ;  placed  in  bushes 
or  small  trees. 

Eggs:  3  to  5  ;  light  greenish  blue,  speckled  around  the  larger  end  with 
black  and  brown. 

THE  Chipping  Sparrow,  or  Hair  Bird,  is  the  universal 
favorite  of  the  sparrow  family.  No  other  is  so  confiding, 
so  trustful,  building  his  nest  in  the  fruit  tree  near  the 
dooryard,  or  in  the  evergreen  on  the  lawn,  or  even  in 
a  large  rosebush.  I  have  found  him  weaving  his  dainty 
hair-lined  cradle  in  the  same  bush  in  which  a  thrasher 
was  rearing  his  brood.  The  wee  sparrow  mother  had 


228  LAND   BIRDS 

dauntless  courage,  and  allowed  me  to  touch  her  before 
she  could  be  induced  to  leave  her  nest,  when  the  speckled 
eggs  were  laid.  She  was  a  fluffy,  fascinating  bit  of  soft 
grayish  brown  and  bufly,  with  sparkling  eyes  that  flashed 
indignant  protest  at  my  intrusion.  After  ten  days,  when 
those  small  eggs  had  hatched  into  nestlings,  the  life  of 
both  parents  was  full  of  care.  The  nestlings  were  fed 
by  regurgitation  for  the  first  few  days.  After  that  in- 
sects of  many  sorts,  and  seed,  were  brought  to  the  nest 
at  surprisingly  short  intervals,  yet  those  young  Chippies 
were  never  satisfied;  and  long  after  they  were  well 
feathered  and  out  of  the  nest  they  followed  the  parents 
about,  begging  constantly  for  food.  They  were  exquis- 
itely proportioned  little  creatures,  from  the  time  the  thin 
fuzz  began  to  show  on  their  bald  heads  until  they  were 
clothed  in  soft  brown  feathers,  like  the  adults. 

The  call  note  of  this  bird  is  a  thin,  shrill  "  chip,  chip," 
which  has  given  it  its  name.  The  fact  that,  wherever 
placed,  the  nest  is  always  beautifully  lined  with  horse- 
hair, has  won  for  it  the  nickname  of  "  Hair  Bird  "  in  the 
East,  and  this  name  is  equally  applicable  to  the  Western 
variety,  though  less  frequently  applied  to  it. 

562.    BREWER    SPARROW.—  Spizella  breweri. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  5.00-5.60. 

Adults:  Entire  upper  parts  grayish  brown,  streaked  with  blackish,  less 

distinct  on  head  and  ear-coverts  ;  under  parts  soiled  grayish";  winter 

plumage  more  buffy. 
Young:  Similar  to  adult,  but  chest   and  sides  streaked  with  dusky; 

upper  parts  less  distinctly  streaked  ;  wings  with  two  distinct  bands. 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          229 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  United  States  east  to  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, south  to  Mexico,  north  to  British  Columbia. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Arid  foot-hill  regions  of  the  interior,  chiefly 
along  the  southern  Sierra  Nevada. 

Breeding  Season:   May  and  June. 

Nest :  Of  dry  grasses  and  rootlets  ;  lined  with  hair  ;  placed  generally  in 
sagebushes  a  few  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs:  Usually  4;  light  greenish  blue,  with  reddish  brown  markings, 
chiefly  at  the  larger  end.  Size  0.69  X  0.53. 

WHEREVER  in  California  there  is  sagebrush  there  are 
Brewer  Sparrows,  be  it  in  the  arid  deserts  of  the  south- 
ern district,  or  among  the  foot-hills,  or  on  the  mountains. 
As  Mrs.  Bailey  says,  8,400  feet  high  on  the  snowy  crests 
of  the  sierras,  "  morning  and  evening  the  curious  little 
tinkling  song  comes  up  from  all  over  the  brush,  and  it 
seems  as  if  we  had  come  upon  a  marsh  full  of  singing 
though  subdued,  marsh  wrens." 

In  appearance  this  sparrow  is  much  like  the  clay- 
colored  sparrow,  but  is  paler  and  duller,  being  almost 
ashy  on  the  under  parts,  and  harmonizing  well  with  the 
tones  of  its  arid  nesting  ground.  The  nests  are  usually 
in  sagebushes  a  foot  or  two  from  the  ground,  and,  unlike 
those  of  most  sparrows,  are  lined  with  hair.  In  this 
and  in  other  habits  it  resembles  the  chipping  sparrow, 
and  the  eggs  are  so  like  those  of  the  latter  as  to  be  dis- 
tinguishable from  them  with  difficulty.  It  is  sometimes 
called  the  "Sagebrush  Chippie."  The  newly  hatched 
young  complete  the  family  resemblance,  being  the  same 
daintily  proportioned  little  creatures  that  we  find  in  the 
nests  of  the  Eastern  chipping  sparrow  or  hair  bird.  As 
soon  as  they  are  able  to  fly,  they  care  for  themselves,  and 
the  parents  turn  their  attention  to  another  brood.  In 


230  LAND   BIRDS 

the  winter  these  birds  wander  to  the  coast  and  the  San 
Diegan  district  and  south  through  the  table-lands  of 
Mexico. 


565.    BLACK-CHINNED   SPARROW.  —Spizella 
atrogularis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:   5.50-5.75. 

Adults :   Upper  parts  rusty  browiiisb,   narrowly  streaked  with  black  ; 

head,  neck,  and  under  parts  gray,  becoming  white  on  belly  and  under 

tail-coverts  ;  chin  and  upper  throat  black  ;  bill-pinkish. 
Young:  Similar  to  adults,  but  chin  and  throat  gray  instead  of  black  ; 

chest  indistinctly  streaked. 
Geographical  Distribution :    Arizona  south  to  the  southern  border  of  the 

United  States  and  Lower  California. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Arid  foot-hill  regions  of  the  southern  Sierra 

Nevada  and  desert  ranges. 
Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 
Nest:   Of  grasses,  on  a  foundation  of  leaves;  lined  with  hair;  usually 

placed  in  low  bushes. 
Eggs:  3  to  5  ;  light  greenish  blue.     Size  0.68  X  0.50. 

THE  Black-chinned  is  a  common  summer  visitant  in 
the  foot-hills  of  Southern  California,  and  occasionally 
wanders  as  far  as  Alameda  and  Monterey  counties.  It 
haunts  the  grassy  fields  and  low  thickets  on  the  edges  of 
meadows,  where  the  clear,  low  trill  is  heard  through 
sunny  hours.  The  nest  is  very  like  that  of  the  Eastern 
field  sparrow  in  construction,  but  is  placed  in  bushes 
rather  than  on  the  ground. 

Incubation  lasts  twelve  days,  and  the  young  remain  in 
the  nest  ten  days  longer,  being  fed  by  one  parent  while 
the  other  anxiously  tries  to  attract  the  attention  of  the 
intruder  to  himself.  Rather  than  betray  the  hiding  place 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  231 

of  the  little  brood,  the  adult  will  flit  restlessly  about  for 
an  hour  with  a  bug  in  his  bill,  which  he  himself  abso- 
lutely refuses  to  eat.  Finally  he  compromises  by  alight- 
ing in  the  grass  at  some  distance  from  the  nest,  and 
running  under  cover  to  the  bush  where  it  is  located. 

This  species  has  the  red  bill  of  the  field  sparrow  and 
is  said  to  resemble  it  in  song. 

567c.  THURBER  JUNCO,   OR   SIERRA   JUNCO. 

Junco  oreganus  thurberi. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  5.60-6.20. 

Adults:  Similar  to  the  Oregon  junco,  but  wings  and  tail  longer ;  head, 

throat,  and  breast  black,  sharply  defined  against  light  brown  of  back 

and  white  of  under  parts  ;  sides  buffy. 
Young:   Similar  to  the   young  of  the  Oregon  junco,  only  upper  parts 

lighter. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Sierra  Nevada,  the  desert,  and  the  southern 

coast  ranges  of  California  from  Oregon  to  latitude  32°. 
California  Breeding  Range  :  Transition  and  Boreal  zones  along  the  whole 

length  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season :  April  to  July  23. 
Nest:  Of  dry  grasses  and  bits  of  moss  ;  lined  with  finer  materials  of  the 

same  ;  placed  on  the  ground,  usually  under  a  bush. 
Eggs :   4  or  5  ;  bluish  white,  spotted  with  chestnut,  red,  and  lavender, 

forming  a  ring  around  the  larger  end  ;  a  few  spots  scattered  over  the 

smaller  end.     Size  0.71  X  0.58. 

BEFORE  the  snows  had  left  the  sides  of  Mt.  Tallac,  I 
found  a  nest  of  the  Thurber  Junco  among  the  pines  at 
its  foot.  Hidden  snugly  under  the  edge  of  a  log  and 
close  by  a  clump  of'  scarlet  snowflower,  it  might  have 
been  secure  from  all  detection  had  not  the  calls  of  the 
parents  attracted  my  eager  prying  eyes.  When  I  peeped 
in,  the  four  nestlings  were  cuddled  down  on  a  bed  of 
red-brown  pine  needles,  so  exactly  matching  their  own 


LAND   BIRDS 


striped  plumage  that  at  first  I  saw  nothing.  They  were 
too  old  to  be  fooled  into  opening  their  bills  for  food,  but 
crouched  flat  in  fear,  only  their  beady  eyes  telling  me 
they  were  alive.  As  I  put  down  my 
hand  to  take  one,  the  four  popped  out 
of  the  nest  with  one  accord  so  swiftly 
that  I  could  not  see  what  hap- 
pened. Then  ensued  a  search, 
long  and  painstaking,  before  I 
found  even  one.  During  all 
this  time  the 
excited  father 
mother  were  fol- 
lowing me  just  over- 
head in  the  lowest 
/  "  branches,  the  "  seep,  seep  " 
seeming  to  my  strained 
imagination  like  "  Don't, 
don't,"  but  not  once  had 
they  come  to  the  ground. 
The  instant  I  espied  the 
youngster  sitting  placidly 
on  the  ground,  they  seemed 
intuitively  to  know  it. 
With  redoubled  cries  they 
flew  down  to  him,  evidently  coaxing  him  to  make 
some  effort  to  escape.  And  he  did  try,  but  I  had  never 
photographed  a  Junco  baby  and  this  chance  was  too 
good  to  lose,  so  I  caught  him.  Soon  after  I  found 
two  of  the  others.  Once  caught,  they  seemed  to  lose 


3.7. 

567  c.    THTJRBER  JUNCO. 

"  They  protested  icith  plaintive 
calls." 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  233 

fear  and  ate  readily  while  sitting  contentedly  on  my 
hand.  There  was  no  difficulty  in  inducing  them  to  sit 
for  their  pictures,  nor  did  the  parents  interfere.  From 
a  near  perch  they  protested  with  plaintive  calls,  but 
ceased  to  fly  down  as  they  had  done  when  the  little 
ones  were  first  discovered. 

.On  the  same  day  that  this  brood  were  found,  I  flushed 
a  mother  from  her  nest  on  the  lawn  of  the  Hotel  Tallac, 
not  a  hundred  feet  from  the  main  entrance.  In  this  case 
the  nest  was  a  little  hollow  in  the  ground,  lined  with 
dried  grasses  and  entirely  concealed  by  the  green  grass 
of  the  lawn.  It  was  not  near  any  tree  or  other  protec- 
tion, and,  when  built,  must  have  been  quite  exposed  to 
view  before  the  grass  had  grown  tall  enough  to  cover  it. 
Four  eggs  nearly  ready  to  hatch  were  its  precious  con- 
tents, which  I  left  as  speedily  as  possible,  trusting  that 
no  careless  foot  or  knife  of  the  mower  would  ruin  the 
pretty  home.  Before  I  was  twenty  feet  away  the  mother 
had  returned  to  them  and  the  father  had  ceased  his 
anxious  cries. 

In  this  and  subsequent  broods  in  the  same  locality  I 
noticed  the  same  fondness  for  bathing  as  in  the  case  of 
the  Point  Pinos  j uncos  at  Monterey.  No  water  was  too 
icy  for  their  plunge,  but  they  usually  chose  an  hour  soon 
after  noon  when  the  sun  was  high,  and  sat  in  his  rays  to 
preen  their  little  brown  coats. 

Their  food  was  whatever  could  be  picked  up,  whether 
crumbs  scattered  for  them  or  weed  seeds  or  fruit,  and 
quite  as  often  insects  caught  by  hopping  up  from  the 
grass  or  gathered  from  the  trees.  The  green  worms 


234  LAND  BIRDS 

found  on  evergreen  trees  they  ate  with  impunity,  though 
I  feel  certain  the  same  variety  has  killed  other  birds  in 
the  East. 


567  d.   POINT    PINOS    JUXCO. — Junco  oregaiws  pinosus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  5.25-5.75. 

Adults :  Similar  to  the  Thurber  Junco,  but  the  black  on  sides  of  head 

and  throat  replaced  by  slaty. 
Young :  Similar  to  the  young  of  the  Thurber  Junco,  but  under  parts 

more  strongly  tinged  with  buff. 
Geographical   Distribution :    Vicinity    of    Monterey,    California,    north 

through  San  Mateo  County,  east  through  Santa  Clara  County,  south 

to  Point  Sur. 
Calif orn,ia  Breeding  Range:   Santa  Cruz  district  south  to   Point  Sur, 

north  as  far  as  King  Mountain. 
Breeding  Season  :  May  to  August. 
Nest :  Of  leaves  ;  lined  with  dead  grasses  and  hair  ;  placed  in  a  hollow 

at  a  clump  of  grass. 

WHETHER  seen  in  the  beautiful  grounds  of  Del  Monte 
or  in  the  pine  forests  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  the  Juncos 
are  the  same  friendly  little  birds  that  we  have  known 
and  loved  as  the  "  snow-birds  "  of  the  East.  Some  one 
has  called  them  gray-robed  monks  and  nun's,  and  the 
description  fits  them  well.  During  the  fall,  winter,  and 
early  spring  they  are  found  in  flocks  of  from  -ten  to 
twenty,  feeding  on  the  ground,  flying  up  at  the  approach 
of  an  intruder,  only  to  alight  again  farther  on.  If  you 
sit  quietly  they  will  hop  quite  near  you,  particularly  the 
Point  Pinos  Juncos  found  at  Monterey,  who  are  accus- 
tomed to  the  presence  of  strangers  in  their  haunts  and 
have  become  as  fearless  as  the  English  sparrows  of  the 


WITH    BROWN    PREDOMINATING          235 

East,  hopping  close  to  the  benches  and  picking  up  food 
at  your  feet.  They  have  a  not  unmusical  call-note  and  a 
soft,  sweet,  twittering  song.  When  the  birds  are  about 
to  begin  housekeeping  in  the  spring,  this  musical  effort 
is  heard  at  intervals  all  day  long  and  is  very  pleasing. 
Both  sexes  cooperate  at  the  preparation  of  the  nest, 
which  they  build  in  a  hollow  under  the  roots  of  a  tree, 
or,  at  Del  Monte,  under  the  heavy  evergreens  and  low- 
growing  shrubbery.  It  is  a  simple  affair  of  pine  needles 
or  fine  grass,  and  so  nearly  matches  the  bird  in  coloring 
as  to  render  her  practically  invisible  when  sitting.  The 
little  Juncos,  although  born  naked,  soon  don  a  pretty 
habit  of  striped  light  and  dark  brown,  and  are  even  more 
invisible  than  the  adults  among  the  reddish  pine  needles. 
They  remain  in  the  nest  about  ten  days,  when  they  are 
fully  feathered  and  able  to  fly.  They  are  fed  by  regurgi- 
tation  for  several  days,  and  then  with  raw  insects  brought 
by  both  parents.  For  some  time  after  making  their  de'but 
from  the  nest,  the  hungry  youngsters  follow  the  adults 
about,  begging  with  quivering  wings  for  food. 

They  are  fond  of  bathing,  and  run  into  the  spray  of 
the  lawn  hose  or  splatter  in  the  puddles  made  by  it  with 
utter  disregard  of  the  presence  of  gardener  or  guest.  I 
have  seen  them  pick  up  crumbs  scattered  for  them  by 
a  Chinese  helper  within  two  feet  of  where  he  lay  under 
a  tree  eating  his  own  dinner.  Evidently  the  most  per- 
fect camaraderie  existed  between  the  man  and  the  birds, 
for  when  the  feast- was  spread  he  called  them  by  a  pecu- 
liar squeaking  noise  and  was  instantly  surrounded  by 
several  pairs.  This  was  late  in  May,  and  they  were 


236  LAND   BIRDS 

housekeeping ;  but  both  male  and  female  responded  to 
the  call,  leaving  the  nest  unguarded. 

All  these  Juncos  found  at  Del  Monte  or  Monterey 
and  vicinity  are  of  the  variety  known  as  Point  Pinos, 
a  subspecies  of  the  gray-headed  or  common  junco  of  the 
Eastern  States.  In  habits  and  song  the  species  are 
closely  identified. 

574.    BELL   SPARROW.  —  Amphispiza  belli. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  5.50-5.75. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  brownish  gray,  grayer  on  head  and  neck  ;  the  back 
generally  without  distinct  streaks  ;  orbital  ring,  spot  over  the  eye, 
broad  malar  stripe,  chin,  throat,  and  under  parts  white  ;  black  spot 
on  middle  of  chest ;  throat  marked  on  sides  with  a  continuous  stripe 
of  blackish  ;  wing-coverts  edged  with  buffy  ;  edge  of  wing  yellowish  ; 
tail-feathers  black,  indistinctly  marked  with  lighter. 

Young :  Upper  parts  light  grayish  brown,  streaked  with  dusky  ;  under 
parts  buffy  ;  chest  distinctly  streaked  with  dark  gray  ;  wings  with 
two  rather  distinct  pale  buff  bands. 

Geographical  Distribution :  West  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  San  Bernar- 
dino mountains  from  Marin  County  to  Lower  California. 

California  Breeding  Range :  In  upper  Sonoran  zone  locally,  west  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada  from  latitude  38°  southward. 

Breeding  Season  :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  Of  grass  stems  and  vegetable  fibre  ;  lined  with  hair  ;  placed  in 
low  bushes. 

Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  pale  greenish  blue,  finely  dotted  and  speckled  with  dark 
reddish  brown.  Size  0.74  X  0.60. 

THE  Bell  Sparrow  is  abundant  on  the  bush-covered 
plains  of  Southern  California  as  well  as  in  the  foot-hills. 
It  is  a  thicket-dweller,  darting  from  the  cover  of  one 
clump  to  another  with  rapid  flight  as  if  uneasy  in  the 
open.  Its  nest  is  in  the  thickest  of  the  bushes,  but 
the  anxious  chirp  of  the  male  sparrow  is  sure  to  reveal 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          237 

his  secret  to  the  intruder.  His  song  is  a  clear,  monot- 
onous twitter,  not  unmusical  and  full  of  enthusiasm. 
Only  early  in  the  breeding  season  does  he  attempt  as 
much  as  this,  usually  preferring  to  flit  silently  through 
the  thick  foliage.  His  food  consists  of  both  insects  and 
seeds,  the  latter  predominating. 

574.1.  SAGE    SPARROW.  —  Amphispiza  nevadensis. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  6.00-7.00. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  light  ashy  brown,  tinged  with  ash-gray,  the  back 
usually  distinctly  streaked  with  dusky  ;  sides  of  throat  marked  with 
a  series  of  narrow  blackish  streaks  ;  under  parts  whitish,  with  black 
spot  on  chest  ;  sides  and  flanks  faintly  tinged  with  light  brown  ; 
outer  web  of  lateral  tail-feather  white. 

Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  upper  parts  and  chest  streaked  ;  wings 
with  two  buffy  bands. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Sagebrush  region  of  Western  United  States, 
north  to  Southern  Idaho  and  Montana,  east  to  Colorado  and  New 
Mexico,  south  to  interior  of  Southern  California  and  Western  Mexico, 
west  to  Los  Angeles. 

California  Breeding  Flange :  In  arid  upper  Sonoran  and  Transition  zones, 
east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  Arid  desert  region  of  Southeastern  Cali- 
fornia. 

Breeding  Season:  April  and  May. 

Nest :  Of  shredded  sagebrush  bark,  dry  grasses,  etc. ;  in  a  hollow  in  the 
ground,  or  lower  branches  of  the  sage  or  other  bushes. 

Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  light  greenish  or  dull  grayish  white,  speckled  all  over 
with  reddish  brown  and  a  few  blotches  of  darker  brown  at  the  larger 
end.  Size  0.80  X  0.60. 

TRULY  well  named  is  the  little  gray  bird  called  the 
Sage  Sparrow.  Everywhere  in  the  sagebrush  district 
his  metallic  call  may  be  heard  ;  and  during  the  sunny 
spring  days  when  the  enthusiasm  of  nesting  time  in- 
spires him  to  music,  his  sweet,  ringing  song  is  a  delight 
to  the  ear.  Little  cares  he  for  that.  Swinging  care- 


238 


LAND   BIRDS 


lessly  on  the  highest  twig  of  the  nest  bush,  he  sings  to 
his  mate,  not  to  you ;  and,  the  song  finished,  he  disap- 
pears earthward  in  the  gray-green  foliage. 

His  nest  is  either  hidden  in  a  low  crotch  of  a  bush 
or  on  the  ground  underneath  it,  and  so  formed  of  sage- 
bark    and    leaves  and  dried   grasses 
as  to  seem   a   part  of  its  surround- 
ings.     U  n  le  s  s   the    nestlings    are 
hungry  and  stretch 
up  wide-open  bills 
for  food,  you  will 
be  almost  certain  to 
overlook    the    nest. 
When    on    it    the 
mother  bird  becomes 
practically    invisible, 
so  well  does  her  soft 
coloring   blend  with 
the    lights     and    shadows    of    the 
earth  and  leaves. 

The  buds  of  the  sage- 
brush form  at  least  a 
part  of  their  diet,  but  I 
am  inclined  to  believe  that  insects  form  the  larger 
half. 

Mrs.  Bailey  says  :  "  The  absence  of  a  continuous  stripe 
on  the  side  of  the  throat  is  enough  to  distinguish  the 
Sage  Sparrow  from  the  Bell,"  and  "  his  long  black  tail 
and  its  gently  tilting  motion  are  good  long-range  recog- 
nition marks." 


574  a.  SAGE  SPARROW. 

1  He  sings  to  his  mate,  not  to  you.'1 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  239 


580.    RUFOUS-CROWNED   SPARROW.  —  Aimophila 

ruficeps. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  5.50-5.75. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  grayish  or  grayish  brown ;  back  broadly  streaked 

with  reddish-  brown  ;  crown  reddish  brown  ;  under  parts  light  brown, 

palest  on  throat  and  belly  ;  a  distinct  black   stripe  on  each  side  of 

throat ;  a  rusty  streak  extending  back  from  eye  ;  edge  of  wing  dull 

white  or  grayish. 
Young:   Similar  to  adults,  but  upper  parts  dull  brownish;    streaked 

with  deeper ;  under  parts  dull  buffy,  chest  and  sides  streaked  with 

dusky. 
Geographical  Distribution:   California  coast   from  about  latitude    40°, 

south  to  Cape  St.  Lucas. 
California  Breeding  Range :  In  upper  Sonoran  zone  west  of  the  Sierra 

Nevada  from  San  Diego  to  Marin  County. 
Breeding  Season  :  April  to  August. 
Nest :  Of  coarse  grass  and  weed  stalks  ;  lined  with  a  few  hairs  ;  placed 

on  the  ground  in  a  hollow. 
Eggs:  3  to  5  ;  plain  white  or  bluish  white.     Size  0.89  X  0.65. 

BRUSH-COVERED  hillsides  are  the  favorite  haunts  of 
the  Rufous-crowned  Sparrow.  Here,  on  the  ground 
under  thick  low  bushes,  its  nest  is  hidden  so  securely 
that  only  accidental  discovery  is  possible. 

The  only  way  possible  to  observe  these  birds  is  to  sit 
motionless  among  the  sparse  growth  of  bushes  on  the 
side  of  a  hill  and  wait  their  coming  with  endless  patience. 
Their  bright  chestnut  upper  parts  will  serve  to  identify 
them.  A  short,  rather  sweet  song  is  sung  morning  and 
evening  during  the  nesting  season,  and  occasionally  in 
their  winter  haunts  in  the  interior  valleys.  Their  food 
is  mainly  seeds  and  fleshy  seed-pods,  such  as  haws. 


240  LAND  BIRDS 

581  a.     DESERT   SONG   SPARROW.  —  Melospiza  melodia 
fallow. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  6.10-6.50. 

Adults:   Upper   parts  light  gray;    back  streaked  with  rusty,  usually 

without   blackish    shaft-line  ;    uncler    parts   brownish   buffy ;    chest 

streaked  with  chestnut. 
Young :   Upper  parts  dull  brown  ;   back  streaked  with,  brown  ;    under 

parts  buH'y  white  ;  chest  streaked. 
Geographical   Distribution :    New    Mexico,   Arizona,    Southern  Nevada, 

Utah,   Southern  and  Lower  California. 
California  Breeding  Range:  In  extreme  southeastern  portion,  along  the 

•  lower  Colorado  River. 
Breeding  Season  :  April  and  May. 

Nest:  Of  grasses,  weeds,  and  leaves  ;  lined  with  fine  grass  stems,  roots, 
and  sometimes  hair  ;  placed  in  low  bushes,  or  in  tufts  of  grass  on  the 

•  ground. 

Eggs :  4 ;    light  greenish  or  bluish   white,    more  or  less  spotted  with 
brown.     Size  0.75  X  0.55. 

THE  Song  Sparrow  is  a  bird  with  a  name  that  fits. 
Every  day  in  the  month,  every  month  in  the  year,  you 
may  hear  his  ecstatic  song.  In  rain  or  shine,  in  heat  or 
cold,  whether  in  Maine  or  California,  he  is  the  same 
jolly  fellow,  singing  his  glad  little  roundelay,  a  "  plain, 
every-day  home  song  with  the  -heart  left  in."  And  he 
may  be  found  everywhere.  No  State  in  the  Union  lacks 
the  cheer  of  his  sunny  presence.  To  be  sure,  he  has 
various  prefixes  to  his  name,  —  as  in  California  he  is 
dubbed  "  Desert  Song  Sparrow,"  "  Mountain  Song  Spar- 
row," "  Heerman  Song  Sparrow,"  "  Samuels,"  "  Rusty," 
"  Santa  Barbara,"  "  San  Clementa,"  and  "  Merrill "  Song 
Sparrow,  —  each  name  indicating  some  variation  of  plu- 
mage due  to  environment.  In  the  extreme  northern  por- 


WITH    BROWN    PREDOMINATING 


241 


tions  he  wears  dark  brown,  while  on  the  sands  of  the 
extreme  south  border  he  is  almost  clay-color.  But  the 
habits  and  song  remain  unchanged.  Thoreau  declares 
the  Massachusetts  maidens  hear  him  say,  "  Maids,  maids, 
maids,  hang  on  your  tea-kettle,  tea-kettle,  ettle-ettle," 
and  this  is  exactly  the  advice  he 
gives  to  campers  in  the  sierras 
when  the  first  rays  of  the  sun 
strike  the  tops  of  the 
pine  trees.  Day  has  be- 
gun for  bird  and  bird- 
lover.  Then  if  you  rise 
quickly  and  steal  down 
to  the  edge  of  a  moun- 
tain brook  you  may  catch 
him  at  his  bath.  What- 
ever the  locality  or  the 
subspecies,  do  not  ex- 
pect to  see  him  at  any 
great  distance  from 
water,  for  he  is  an  in- 
veterate splasher.  I 
have  seen  him  dip  into 
a  puddle  whose  edges 
were  crusted  with  ice 
and  apparently  enjoy  it  as  well  as  a  bath  in  the  heat 
of  a  July  day. 

When  alarmed,  his  first  impulse  is  to  dart  downward 
into  the  friendly  shelter  of  bushes,  pumping  his  expres- 
sive tail  vigorously  as  he  flies.  But  in  rising  from  the 

16 


581  a.  DESERT  SONG  SPARROW. 

"  In  rain  or  shine,  he  is  the  same  jolly 
fellow." 


242  LAND   BIRDS 

ground  he  hops  from  twig  to  twig  and  seldom,  if  ever, 
flies  in  any  direction  but  downward  or  straight  ahead. 

Unlike  some  of  the  sparrow  family,  these  birds  do  not 
travel  in  compact  flocks.  If  several  individuals  are  to- 
gether, they  are  usually  part  of  a  scattered  band  that  is 
working  its  way  to  or  from  the  nesting  ground. 

The  nests  and  nesting  habits  of  all  the  various  sub- 
species are  so  alike  that  one  description  will  apply  to 
all.  The  structure  is  usually  near  the  ground,  and  often 
on  it,  with  very  little  effort  at  concealment.  Incubation 
lasts  twelve  days,  and  is  shared  by  the  male  to  a  limited 
extent ;  but  as  soon  as  the  little  ones  emerge  from  the 
shell  the  greater  part  of  the  labor  of  caring  for  them  falls 
upon  him.  In  ten  days  they  are  fully  feathered  and 
ready  to  leave  the  home  shelter  and  follow  him.  As  soon 
as  this  family  are  launched  into  the  green  forest,  the 
busy  mother  prepares  a  new  nest  for  a  second  brood. 
The  male  soon  leaves  the  first  to  shift  for  themselves, 
and  returns  valiantly  to  his  post  of  duty,  guarding  and 
feeding  the  next  instalment  with  the  same  zealous  care 
he  had  given  the  first. 


581  b.    MOUNTAIN  SONG  SPARROW.  —  Melospiza 
melodia  montana. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  6.25-7.00. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  grayish,  with  narrow  streaks  of  black  and  brown  ; 

wings  and  tail  brown  ;  under  parts  white  ;  chest  and  sides  streaked 

with  brown. 

:  Similar  to  adults,  but  upper  parts  paler  and  less  tawny  ;  under 

parts  whitish  and  streaks  narrower. 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  243 

Geographical  Distribution:  Rocky  Mountain  district,  west  to  Nevada, 
Oregon,  and  Washington,  and  extending  to  Western  Texas. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Eastern  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  from 
Mt.  Shasta  to  Mono  Lake. 

Breeding  Season:  May  and  June. 

Nest  and  Eggs :  Similar  to  those  of  the  desert  song  sparrow. 


581  c.    HEERMAN   SONG   SPARROW.  —  Melospiza 
mclodia  heermanni. 

FAMILY:  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  6.25-6.50. 

Adults:   Plumage  brown  or  olive;   upper  and  under  parts  streaked; 

flanks  light  grayish  brown  ;  spots  on  chest  separate  and  distinct  from 

one  another. 
Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  under  parts  tinged  with  brownish  buff, 

having  broad  streaks. 
Geographical  Distribution :    Interior  districts  of  California,    including 

eastern  side  of  Sierra  Nevada. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Along  streams  of  the  San  Joaquin-Sacra- 

mento  basin. 

Breeding  Season :  March,  April,  and  May. 

Nest :  Of  grasses,  weeds,  and  leaves  ;  lined  with  finer  grasses  and  some- 
times hair ;  placed  in  bushes  from  2  to  6  feet  from  the  ground. 
Eggs :  Usually  4  ;   bluish  gray,  spotted  and  blotched  over  most  of  the 

surface,  with  dark  brown,  the  spots  becoming  more  confluent  at  the 

larger  end.     Size  0.87  X  0.64. 


581  d.   SAMUELS   SONG   SPARROW.  —Melospiza 
melodia  samuelis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  4.70-5.75. 

Adults :  Very  similar  to  the  Heerman  song  sparrow,  only  smaller. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Coast  of  California. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Along  the  coast  belt  from  Santa  Cruz  north 

to  latitude  40°. 

Breeding  Season :  March  to  June. 
Nest :  Of  coarse  dry  grasses  and  weed  stems ;  lined  with  finer  kinds  of 


244  LAND   BIRDS 

the  same  ;  placed  on  the  ground  beneath  tufts  of  grass,  in  salt  weeds, 
or  low  shrubs  on  the  sand  drifts. 

Eggs :  3  or  4  ;  bluish  gray,  spotted  and  blotched  over  the  entire  surface 
with  reddish  brown.  Size  0.75  X  0.59. 

581  e.    RUSTY   SONG   SPARROW.  —  Melotpisa  melodia 
morphna. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  6.00-7.00. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  rusty  brown,  almost  obscuring  the  black  streaks; 
chest  with  heavy  dark  brown  markings  ;  flanks  greenish  olive. 

Young :  Upper  parts  dark  brown,  back  streaked  with  blackish  ;  under 
parts  buffy  grayish  ;  chest  and  sides  light  brown,  streaked  with 
darker  brown. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  district,  Washington,  Oregon, 
and  Alaska  ;  south  in  winter  to  Southern  California. 

Breeding  Range :  Pacific  coast  region,  from  Northern  California  north- 
ward through  Washington  and  Oregon. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest  and  Eggs :  Very  similar  to  those  of  the  desert  sparrow. 

583.    LINCOLN    SPARROW.—  Melospiza  lincolni. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  5.25-6.00. 

Adults:    Upper  parts   dark   brown    and   olive,    sharply  streaked  with 

black  ;  crown  sharply  streaked  with  black  and  divided  by  a  median 

grayish  line  ;  malar  stripe,  chest,  and  sides  buffy  ;  sides  and  chest 

narrowly  streaked  with  black. 

Young:  Similar  to  adults,  but  colors  and  streaks  less  sharply  defined. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Whole  of  North  America  south  of  Hudson 

Bay  region. 
California  Breeding  Range :    Breeds  sparingly  along  the  high  Sierra 

Nevada  from  Mt.  Shasta  south  to  near  Mt.  Whitney. 
Breeding  Season  :  June  and  July. 
Nest :  Of  grasses  ;  placed  on  the  ground. 
Eggs :    3  ;    light  greenish   white,    heavily  marked   with   chestnut   and 

lavender  gray,  chiefly  at  the  larger  end.     Size  0.79  X  0.58. 

A  SHY  bird,  skulking  through  the  tangle  of  grass  and 
bushes  in  the  swampy  borders  of  a  marsh,  is  the  Lin- 


WITH    BROWN    PREDOMINATING  245 

coin  Sparrow.  About  the  edges  of  a  mountain  meadow 
as  well  as  in  the  wet  lowlands,  he  flits  in  and  out  of  the 
willows,  giving  the  observer  as  little  opportunity  to  see 
him  as  he  can,  and  never  so  absorbed  in  his  insect- 
hunting  as  to  forget  the  presence  of  a  stranger.  His 
song  is  rarely  heard,  yet  he  has  a  happy  little  lay  not 
unlike  that  of  a  song  sparrow  but  inferior  in  quality. 

His  nest  is  deftly  concealed  on  the  ground,  and  he 
approaches  it  by  a  circuitous  route,  dodging  through  the 
grass  and  never  by  any  chance  revealing  its  whereabouts. 
Only  by  catching  a  glimpse  of  him  with  food  in  his  bill 
one  may  be  able  to  guess  at  its  location,  and  that  there 
are  young  to  be  fed. 


585  a.  TOWNSEND    SPARROW.  —  Passerella  iliaca 
townsendi. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  7.00-7.50. 

Adults:    Upper  parts  bright  chestnut,  mixed  with  gray;  wings,  upper 

tail-coverts,  and  tail  rusty  brownish ;  under  parts  white,  with  dark 

brown  markings  on  chest. 
Young :  Similar  to  adults. 
Geographical  Distribution :   Pacific   coast  region  from  Alaska  south  in 

winter  to  California. 

Breeding  Range  :  From  British  Columbia  north  through  Alaska. 
Breeding  Season :   May  and  June. 
Nest:   Of  grasses,   moss,  and  vegetable  fibres,  closely  woven  together; 

placed  near  the  ground,  in  dense  thickets. 
Eggs:   3  to  5  ;   pale  bluish  green,  spotted  and  blotched  with  reddish 

brown  and  lilac.     Size  0.90  X  0.66. 

THE  Townsend  Sparrow  is  one  of  the  largest  and  red- 
dest of  all  our  fox  sparrows,  and  in  his  musical  efforts  is 


246 


LAND   BIRDS 


surpassed  by  few  of  that  family.  In  the  quiet  woodlands 
of  his  summer  home,  he  sits  on  the  topmost  bough  of  the 
dusky  thicket  and  pours  out  his  joy  in  a  song  of  exquisite 
melody,  clear  and  pure  as  that  of  a  thrush,  yet  lacking 
the  spiritual  quality  of  the  latter.  The  song  has  a  wron- 
derful  carrying  power  withal,  that  renders  it  peculiarly 
attractive. 

But  it  is  as  a  scratcher  that  he  excels  all  his  kind. 
Among   the   dead   leaves  under  a  thicket,   he  may  be 

heard  rivalling  a 
towhee  in  the  vigor 
with  which  he 
makes  the  dirt  fly. 
A  few  steps  for- 
ward, and  a  sud- 
den kick  out  with 
585  a.  TOWNSEND  SPARROW.  both  feet,  then  a 

"  The  way  he  digs  for  his  supper."  thorough  Searching 

of  the  ground  laid  bare,  is  the  way  he  digs  for  his  supper. 
With  the  same  energy  that  characterizes  his  scratching, 
he  wooes  his  chestnut  mate  by  alternate  scoldings  and 
songs,  treating  her  with  the  lordly  airs  of  a  successful 
suitor,  and  fairly  compelling  her  to  accept  him.  To  his 
credit  be  it  said  that  he  does  his  share  of  the  nest  build- 
ing, such  as  it  is,  and  though  a  tyrant,  he  is  a  brave 
guardian  of  his  brood.  When,  after  twelve  days  of 
patient  brooding,  the  eggs  are  transformed  into  naked 
nestlings,  he  is  ready  to  scratch  enthusiastically  all  day 
for  their  sustenance.  And  this  is  really  just  what  he  is 
compelled  to  do  so  long  as  they  remain  in  the  nest  and 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  247 

for  at  least  two  weeks  afterwards.  Then  his  fine  song 
is  hushed  and  only  the  metallic  "  tseep  "  of  his  call  note 
is  heard.  Until  the  nestlings  are  three  or  four  days  old 
they  are  fed  by  regurgitation,  and  after  that  upon  insect 
food. 

Usually  the  Townsend  Sparrows  fly  and  feed  in  small 
flocks,  often  along  the  roadside  thickets,  and  occasion- 
ally they  stray  into  the  city  parks  in  the  winter  season. 
In  the  great  State*  of  California,  with  its  varied  climate, 
which  produces  variations  of  form  and  coloring,  the 
fox  sparrows  have  been  divided  into  several  subspecies. 
These  are  all  so  much  alike  in  habits  that  the  descrip- 
tion of  one  applies  to  all,  with  a  few  modifications  to  be 
noted  in  the  different  subspecies. 

585  b.     THICK-BILLED   SPARROW.  —  Passerella   iliaca 
megarhyncha. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  7.00-7.75. 

Adults :    Bill  thick  ;  upper  parts  plain  brownish  gray,  becoming  rusty 

brownish  on  wings,  upper  tail-coverts,  and  tail ;  under  parts  white, 

with  small  dark  brown  spots  on  chest. 
Young :  Similar  to  adults. 
Geographical  Distribution:   Mountains  of  California,  including  eastern 

slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  South  in  winter  to  Los  Angeles  County. 
California  Breeding  Range :  From  Mt.  Shasta  south  to  Mt.  Whitney,  in 

Boreal  and  Transition  zones. 
Breeding  Season :  June. 
Nest :  Of  plant  fibre  and  willow  bark  ;  lined  with  grasses  and  horsehair  ; 

placed  on  or  near  the  ground,  in  thickets. 
Eggs :    3   or  4  ;    pale  bluish  green,  spotted   with  dark   brown.     Size 

0.86  X  0.64. 

THE  Thick-billed  Sparrow  inhabits  the  forests  of  the 
Transition  and  Boreal  zones,  breeding  among  the  ever- 


248  LAND  BIRDS 

greens.  His  big  bill  serves  to  identify  him,  and  during 
the  warm  June  days  his  loud  clear  song  rings  out  from 
all  the  thickets  early  and  late.  In  the  winter  this  sub- 
species migrates  southward  to  the  San  Diegan  district. 

585  d.     STEPHENS    SPARROW.  —  Passerella  iliaca 

stephensi. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  7.10-7.90. 

Adults:  Similar  to  thick -billed  sparrow,  but  averaging  somewhat  larger, 

with  much  larger  bill. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Mountains  of  California. 
California  Breeding  Range:  In  Boreal  zone  on  southern  Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season:  April  and  May. 
Nest  and  Eygs:  Similar  to  those  of  the  thick-billed  sparrow. 

591  b.  CALIFORNIAN    TOWHEE.  —  Hortulanusfuscus 

crissalis. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  8.50-9.00. 

Adults :   Upper  parts  uniform  grayish  brown,  darker  on  head  ;  throat 

pale  rusty,  marked  with  dusky ;  belly  whitish,  washed  on  sides  with 

grayish  brown. 
Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  browner  ;  under  parts  buffy  white  ;  throat 

and  belly  rusty  ;   throat  streaked  with  darker. 
Geographical  Distribution :   California,  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  from 

Shasta  County,  south  to  Santa  Barbara  County. 
California  Breeding  Range :    Upper  Sonoran  zone,  west  of  the  Sierra 

Nevada,  south  to  latitude  35°,  north  to  Shasta  valley. 
Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 
Nest :   In  trees  or  bushes,  usually  from  3  to  5  feet  from  the  ground  ; 

occasionally  in  hollow  trunks  of  trees,  or  in  crevices  of  vine-covered 

rocks  of  canons  ;  made  of  twigs,  bark,  and  grass  ;  lined  with  rootlets. 
Eggs:   4  or  5  ;  bluish,  marked  with  various  shades  of  dark  and  light 

purple  and  black.     Size  0.92  X  0.73. 

THE  Califoruian  Towhee  is  the  brown  chippie,  or  long- 
tailed  chippie,  of  common  parlance  throughout  most  of 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING  249 

California  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  Unlike  the  shy 
chewink  of  the  Eastern  States,  it  comes  to  village  door- 
yards  not  only  in  winter  but  often  to  rear  its  brood. 
Mr.  Grinnell  called  my  attention  to  a  nest  in  a  bush  not 
twenty  feet  from  the  house  at  Palo  Alto,  and  remarked 
that  at  Pasadena  the  Towhees  usually  nested  upon  the 
ground,  while  at  Palo  Alto  they  were  oftener  found  in 
bushes.  Mr.  Shields  records  nests  of  the  California!! 
Towhee  in  crevices  of  vine-covered  rocks,  in  hollow 
trunks  of  trees,  and  in  thickets  five  feet  from  the  ground. 
These  Towhees  are  most  devoted  parents,  resembling  the 
catbird  in  their  piteous  protests  against  any  molesting 
of  their  treasures.  Early  and  late  they  scratch  under  the 
dead  leaves  or  in  the  rich  garden  soil  for  insects,  or  pick 
up  scattered  grain  in  the  barnyard,  or  crumbs  at  the 
door.  I  have  seen  bits  of  muffin  fed  to  the  nestlings 
with  impunity,  but  their  orthodox  diet  is  small  insects 
and  seeds,  the  former  predominating  while  the  parents 
feed  them.  They  are  fed  by  regurgitation  at  first,  but  in 
a  few  days  they  receive  fresh  food.  As  soon  as  able  to 
fly  well,  they  take  to  the  trees  and  spend  only  enough 
time  on  the  ground  to  satisfy  their  hunger. 

The  characteristic  song,  like  the  tinkle  of  a  silver  bell, 
is  heard  oftenest  at  this  time  when,  late  in  the  after- 
noon, the  little  brood  are  safely  housed  in  the  sheltering 
branches  of  an  oak  tree,  and  in  the  earliest  dawn  the 
same  clear  notes  come  up  from  the  copse  on  the  edge 
of  the  brook.  For,  unlike  most  birds,  the  Towhee  sings 
after  his  family  cares  are  over  as  joyously  as  he  did  in 
the  full  tide  of  his  wooing.  Mr.  Frank  Chapman's 


250  LAND   BIRDS 

happy  description  of  some  characteristics  of  the  Eastern 
variety  is  applicable  also  to  that  called  the  California!!. 
He  says : 

"There  is  a  vigorousness  about  the  Towhee's  notes 
and  actions  which  suggests  both  a  bursting,  energetic 
disposition  and  a  good  constitution.  He  entirely  dom- 
inates the  thicket  or  bushy  undergrowth  in  which  he 
makes  his  home.  The  dead  leaves  fly  before  his  attack  ; 
his  white-tipped  tail-feathers  flash  in  the  gloom  of  his 
haunts.  He  greets  all  passers  with  a  brisk,  inquiring 
chewink,  towhee ;  and,  if  you  pause  to  reply,  with  a 
fluff>  fluff  °f  hig  short,  rounded  wings  he  flies  to  a 
near-by  limb  better  to  inspect  you. 

"  It  is  only  when  singing  that  the  Towhee  is  fully  at 
rest.  Then  a  change  comes  over  him  ;  he  is  in  love, 
and,  mounting  a  low  branch,  he  gives  voice  to  his  passion 
in  song.  I  have  long  tried  to  express  the  Towhee  song 
in  words,  but  never  succeeded  as  well  as  Ernest  Thomp- 
son when  he  wrote  it  chuck-burr,  pill-a-willa-will-a." 

591  c.  ANTHONY  TOWHEE.  —  Hortulanusfuscus  senicula. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  8.20-8.30. 

Adults :  Similar  to  Californian  towhee,  but  smaller,  darker,  and  grayer. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Southern  California. 

California  Breeding  Range :    Below  Transition  zone  in  the  San  Diegan 

district. 

Breeding  Season :  March,  April,  and  May. 
Nest  and  Eggs:   Similar  to  those  of  the  Californian  towhee. 

THE  Anthony  Towhee  chooses  more  southern  breed- 
ing grounds  than  any  of  its  Californian  kinsfolk.  This  is 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  251 

the  species  commonly  met  with  in  the  San  Diegan  dis- 
trict, and  from  there  north  to  the  valleys  about  Pasa- 
dena. Unless  you  have  the  two  birds  in  hand,  you  are 
likely  to  mistake  it  for  the  Californian  towhee,  so  similar 
is  it  in  form  and  habits. 

The  song  of  the  Anthony  Towhee  is  less  liquid  and 
more  metallic  in  quality.  It  is  most  effective  in  the 
twilight,  when  one  singer  after  another  takes  up  the 
short  refrain,  tossing  it  from  bush  to  bush  like  the  echo 
of  fairy  bells. 

592.1.    GREEN-TAILED   TOWHEE.  —  Oreospiza 
chlorura. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  6.35-7.20. 

Adults :  down  bright  chestnut  ;  upper  parts  grayish  olive,  merging  to 

bright  olive-green  on  wings  and  tail  ;  throat,  malar  stripe,  and  middle 

of  belly  white  ;  edge  of  wing  and  under  wing-coverts  yellow. 
Young:    Grayish  olive  above,   streaked  with  dark  gray  ;   under  parts 

whitish,  streaked  with  dark. 
Geographical  Distribution :    Rocky  Mountains   to   the  coast,   north  to 

Mt.  Shasta,  south  to  Lower  California. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Higher  Sierra  Nevada  and  desert  ranges  from 

Mt.  Shasta  to  San  Bernardino  mountains. 
Breeding  Season :  June. 
Nest:   On   or  near  the   ground,  in  cactus,  sagebrush,  or  chaparral;  of 

twigs  and  weed  stems  ;  lined  with  grass. 
Eggs  :   3  or  4  ;  whitish,  speckled  with  chestnut. 

IN  the  higher  Sierra  Nevada,  where  the  solitaire  and 
leucosticte  form  the  mountain  chorus,  look  for  the  Green- 
tailed  Towhee.  Among  all  the  mountain  songsters  he 
has  few  rivals.  Whether  perched  on  top  of  a  clump 
of  chaparral  pouring  out  his  rich  bell-like  music  in 
the  half-light  of  evening,  or  dodging  among  the  dense 


252 


LAND   BIRDS 


brush,  or  running  swiftly  across  the  open  spaces  from 
bush  to  bush  on  the  arid  mountain  sides,  the  Green- 
tailed  Towhee  has  a  manner  distinctly  his  own.  You 
may  know  him  by  his  semi-erectile  chestnut 
crown,  white  throat,  and  green  tail. 

His  alarm  note  is  a  cat-like  mew,  lacking 
the  harshness  of  the  note  of  the  catbird,  and 
the  insistent  force  of  that  of  the  spurred 
townee.     It  is  a  polite  protest  against 
your  intrusion.     His  song 
has  somewhat  of  a  thrush- 
like  quality,  but  is  more  varied,  possessing 
a  vigor  and  enthusiasm  not  found  in  that 
of  the  more  quiet  singer. 

His  nest  is  hidden  in,  or  under,  one  of  the 
stunted  bushes  with  which  the  rocky  ground 
Fis  covered,  and,  brooding  there  day  after  day, 
his  olive  mate  is  safe  in  her  protective  coloring. 
Newly  hatched  Towhees  are  the  same  naked 
nestlings,    whether    cuddled    in    a    chaparral- 
sheltered  nest  of  the  mountains  or  rocked  in 
a  garden  rosebush  ;  dark  bluish  gray  in  color, 
with  yellow  bills,  they  are  covered  with  a  thin 
whitish  down.     They  feather  rapidly,  and  leave 
592.1.  GREEN-         the  nest  when  from  ten  to  twelve  days 
TAILED  TOWHEE. 

old,  those  of  the  warmer  localities  ma- 

"  A  manner  distinctly 

his  own."  turing  somewhat  sooner  than  those  born 

on  the  edge  of  the  Boreal  zone.  They  follow'  the  adults 
for  several  weeks,  learning  to  jump  forward  and  kick 
out  backward,  in  scratching  for  their  food,  just  as  the 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  253 

parents  do.  But  this  is  only  a  small  part  of  the  hunt- 
ing, for  the  Green-tail  uses  his  bill  more  and  his  heels 
less  in  procuring  his  food  than  do  others  of  his  kind. 
Insects  and  seeds  of  ail  sorts  are  his  chief  diet. 


596.     BLACK-HEADED   GROSBEAK.  —  Zamelodia 
melanocephala. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  7.50-8.90. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  mostly  black  ;  rump  and  collar  light  chest- 
nut ;  wings  and  tail  black  ;  two  white  wing-bars  ;  under  parts  buffy 
cinnamon,  changing  to  lemon-yellow  on  belly  and  under  wing- 
coverts. 

Adult  Female:  Upper  parts  blackish  brown,  streaked  with  buffy  ;  collar 
and  under  parts  buffy  ;  sides  streaked  ;  belly  pale  yellowish  ;  under 
wing-coverts  lemon-yellow. 

Young :  Similar  to  adult  female,  but  without  yellow  on  belly  ;  and  back 
mottled,  not  streaked. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  United  States,  east  to  Great  Plains, 
south  to  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Upper  Sonoran  and  Transition  zones  through- 
out the  State. 

Breeding  Season  :  April,  May,  and  June. 

Nest:  In  trees  or  bushes,  usually  5  to  20  feet  from  the  ground  ;  made  of 
twigs,  weed  stems,  grass,  and  rootlets. 

Eggs:  2  or  3  ;  bluish  white,  speckled  and  blotched  with  rusty  brown. 
Size  0.92  X  0.69. 

AMONG  the  alders  that  border  small  streams  in  the 
valley,  in  the  cherry  orchards  at  cherry  time,  in  the 
potato  field  when  bugs  are  rife,  in  the  oaks  and  ever- 
greens of  the  lower  Sierra  Nevada,  one  may  hear  the 
metallic  "  eek,  eek,"  of  the  Black-headed  Grosbeak.  But 
do  not  judge  his  vocal  powers  by  this  squeaky  call-note, 
for  he  is  a  delightful  musician.  Unlike  most  woodland 
singers,  he  chooses  the  sunny  hours  of  the  midday  for 


254 


LAND   BIRDS 


than 


his   best   efforts.     Then    from  high   in  an  oak  or   pine 
he  will  whistle  a  rhapsody,  so  tender,  so  pure,  so  full 
of  joy    that    it    seems    a    floodtide    of 
love  let  loose   in   music.     But   alas   for 
sentiment !     No  sooner  is  one  round  fin- 
the   singer  turns   his  atten- 
tion   to    feeding    on    the 
young  buds  nearest  to  him, 
sometimes  even  interrupt- 
ing his   song  to   seize  an 
especially  tempting  morsel. 
And  so  it  is  through- 
out the  long  bright 
day,  —  he  stops  eat- 
ing to   break   into  singing,  and   pauses 
in  his  finest  carol  to  finish  a  meal,  flit- 
ting from  tree  to  tree  and  daintily  feasting 
upon  the  tender  terminal  buds.     No  doubt 
this  may  be  a  disadvantage  to  the  tree,  but 
when  we  see  him  industriously  clearing  a 
potato  field  of  the  pest  known  as  "  potato 
bug,"  and  singing  gayly  as  he  works,  we 
forgive  him  all  the  harm  he  has  done  to 
our   pet  fruit   tree.      It    is  impossible   to 
watch  him  for  one  hour  without  becoming 
\A       his    loyal    defender.      Although    a    rather 
clumsy  looking  bird,  his  attitudes  are  always 

596.  BLACK-HEADED     pleasing.     He  leans  forward  to  reach 
GROSBEAK.  .  . 

a  sprig  beneath  him  much  as  a  cross- 

"  His  little  brown  throat 

bill  feeds  on  a  cone,  or  he  stands  erect 


swelling  with  music." 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  265 

with  the  sunlight  bringing  out  the  strong  contrasts  in  his 
plumage,  and  his  little  brown  throat  swelling  with  music ; 
or,  in  masculine  awkwardness,  he  tries  to  cover  the  eggs 
while  his  mate  is  enjoying  a  vacation.  Nearly  half  of  the 
daylight  hours  he  takes  her  place,  but  at  night  it  is  the 
mother  who  broods.  Often  when  the  female  has  been 
gone  a  long  time  he  calls  her,  coaxingly,  querulously,  and 
at  last  imperatively,  but  I  have  never  seen  him  leave  until 
she  had  returned.  This  constant  care  enables  the  Gros- 
beaks to  defend  their  brood  from  the  feathered  kidnap- 
pers ;  •  and  it  is  very  necessary,  for  the  nests  are  exposed 
to  view  from  above.  After  a  rest,  when  the  mother  has 
come  to  the  nest  again  and  settled  herself  comfortably 
with  much  turning  and  fluffing  of  feathers,  she  often 
indulges  in  a  sweet,  warbling  soliloquy,  —  a  faint  imita- 
tion of  her  mate's  brilliant  song,  but  so  low  as  to  be 
inaudible  at  any  great  distance  from  the  tree. 

The  little  Grosbeaks  look  like  over-sized  sparrow  babies, 
covered  at  first  only  with  a  sparse  hair-like  down  on 
crown  and  shoulders  and  afterwards  feathering  out  in  soft 
shades  of  brown.  The  bill  is  wide,  rather  than  swollen, 
and  both  it  and  the  tottery  legs  are  pale  straw  color. 

From  watching  the  adults  gather  insects  for  the  young, 
I  am  confident  that  so  long  as  they  remain  in  the  nest, 
they  are  fed  upon  an  animal  diet,  and  for  the  first  few 
days  by  regurgitation.  In  a  little  less  than  two  weeks 
they  hop  out  onto  the  small  branches,  and  by  instinct  are 
soon  pecking  at  every  green  thing  in  sight.  For  some 
time  they  seem  to  keep  with  the  adults,  being  fed  and 
guarded  tenderly  by  them. 


256  LAND   BIRDS 

Notwithstanding  the  assertion  sometimes  made  that 
young  birds  do  not  sing,  I  know  positively  that  young 
Grosbeaks  sing  when  eight  weeks  old,  though,  of  course, 
their  song  is  only  a  low  warble  as  compared  with  the 
finished  song  of  the  adult. 


612.     CLIFF    SWALLOW.—  Petrochelidon  lunifrons. 
FAMILY  :  The  Swallows. 

Length:  5.00-6.00. 

Adults:   Forehead  white  or  brown  ;  crown,  back,  and  patch  on  chest 

glossy  blue-black  ;  rump  cinnamon-buff ;  throat  and  collar  chestnut ; 

sides  and  flanks  brown  ;  remainder  of  under  parts  white. 
Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  colors  duller  and  not  sharply  outlined  ; 

chin  and  throat  and  often  other  parts  of  the  head  spotted  with  white  ; 

tertials  and   tail-coverts   margined  with   brown  ;    chestnut  of  head 

partly  or  wholly  wanting  ;  upper  parts  dull  blackish. 
Geographical  Distribution :    Whole   of  North   America  ;    migrating  in 

winter  to  Central  and  South  America. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Locally  throughout  the  State. 
Breeding  Season :  June  and  July. 
Nest :  Generally  a  round  or  retort-shaped  structure,  made  of  pellets  of 

mud  mixed  with  a  few  straws  ;  lined  with  feathers  ;  attached  to  cliffs 

or  buildings. 
Eggs :   3  to  5  ;  white,  speckled  or  spotted  with  brown  and  lilac.     Size 

0.82  X  0.56. 

CLIFF  SWALLOWS  present  a  curious  example  of  the 
adaptation  of  a  species  to  its  environment.  Formerly 
these  little  masons  were  all  cliff-dwellers,  their  adobe 
nests  being  hung  on  the  side  of  a  cliff;  but  the  advent 
of  man  into  the  wilderness  has  brought  many  changes, 
and  now  it  is  not  unusual  to  find  a  colony  snugly  en- 
sconced beneath  the  eaves  of  the  farmer's  barn. 

In  1902  these  birds  were  nesting  under  the  projecting 
tiles  of  the  roofs  covering  one  side  of  the  quadrangle 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING  257 

of  Leland  Stanford  University.     Students  passed  con- 
stantly just  below  them,  but  they  showed  no  fear. 

Unlike  the  retort-shaped  nests  of  most  Cliff  Swallows, 
the  majority  of  these  nests  were  open  at  the  top  like  a  wall 
pocket.  The  material  was  sticky  clay,  and  was  gathered 
outside  the  quadrangle.  The  Swallows  flew  down  to 
this  in  small  companies,  and  there  were  always  one  or 
two  on  the  way  going  or  coming.  They  seemed  to  pick 
up  as  much  as  their  mouths  would  hold,  but  whether 
they  also  filled  their  throats,  as  some  aver,  seemed 
doubtful.  The  only  support  I  have  found  for  this  view 
is  the  shape  and  size  of  each  pellet  as  seen  in  an  old 
nest.  Also,  some  of  the  nests  were  so  much  harder 
than  others  that  it  would  seem  there  might  have  been 
a  difference  in  the  saliva  of  the  builders. 

In  the  case  of  these  nests,  the  foundations  were  laid 
in  a  semi-circle,  and  on  this  were  placed  the  pellets  of 
mud,  like  bricks  on  a  wall,  thus  building  out  and  up  at 
the  same  time.  No  straw  or  hair  or  other  material  than 
clay  was  used  in  the  walls  of  these  nests,  but  after  they 
were  completed  a  lining  of  feathers  and  fine  grass  was 
placed  in  them.  We  also  found  these  Swallows  building 
in  the  ruins  of  the  patio  of  the  old  mission  of  San  Juan 
Capistrano.  Upon  the  quaint  fresco  designs  of  the 
chapel,  the  nests  were  plastered  as  abundantly  as  under 
the  eaves  of  a  barn.  "  Yesterday  a  great  mission ; 
to-day  a  nesting  place  for  owls  and  swallows."  Here, 
as  at  Palo  Alto,  in  some  of  the  nests  housekeeping  had 
begun,  and  the  pretty  head  of  the  mother  bird  peered 
over  the  adobe  rim  when  we  rapped  on  the  wall. 
17 


258  LAND   BIRDS 

The  young  or  Cliff  Swallows  are  fed  by  regurgitation 
of  small  insects.  These  are  caught,  scoop-net  fashion, 
by  the  adults  in  flying  through  swarms  of  the  gnats  and 
other  small  winged  insects  that  hover  in  the  air  morning 
and  evening,  or  that  dance  in  the  sunshine  of  mid-day. 
Once  every  ten  or  fifteen  minutes  is  the  usual  time  for 
a  meal,  but  the  intervals  are  shorter  early  in  the  morning 
after  the  night's  fast,  and  late  in  the  afternoon. 


617.   ROUGH-WINGED   SWALLOW.  —  Stelgidopteryx 
serripennis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Swallows. 

Length:  5.00-5.75. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  dull  grayish  brown,  darker  on  wings  and  tail  ;  ter- 

tials  usually  margined   with  grayish  ;   under  parts   plain   brownish 

gray  ;  belly  and  under  tail-coverts  white. 
Young:  Similar  to  adults,  but  plumage  more  or  less  tinged  with  brown  ; 

wings  with  broad  cinnamon  tips  and  margins. 
Geographical  Distribution :  United  States,  from  Atlantic  to  Pacific,  and 

adjoining  Biitish  Provinces  ;   migrates  to  Guatemala. 
California  Breeding  'Range :    Below  Transition  zone,  east  and  south  of 

humid  coast  belt. 
Breeding  Season  :  May  and  June. 
Nest:   In  crevices  of  stone  walls  and  bridges,  and  in  holes  in  banks  ; 

made  of  grasses  and  straws  ;  lined  with  a  few  feathers. 
Eggs:   3  to  6  ;  white.     Size  0.75  X  0.53. 

ALTHOUGH  sometimes  confounded  with  the  bank 
swallow,  the  Rough-winged  is  slightly  larger,  lacks  the 
sooty  chest-band  and  clear  white  under  parts,  and  has 
in  addition  the  distinguishing  serrated  outer  web  of  the 
outer  primary.  Both  this  variety  and  the  bank  swallow 
differ  from  the  other  members  of  their  family  in  their 


WITH  BROWN   PREDOMINATING          259 

lustreless    sooty-gray   plumage    and    entire  absence   of 
metallic  coloring. 

In  habits  the  two  are  very  much  alike,  nesting  in 
banks  and  congregating  in  flocks  for  migration.  The 
Rough-winged  are,  however,  found  in  small  colonies,  — 
seldom  more  than  two  or  three  pairs  in  a  bank,  —  and 
are  more  apt  to  choose  a  gravelly  soil  than  are  the  bank 
swallows.  They  are  somewhat  less  timid  also,  and 
sometimes  make  their  nests  about  buildings.  The  one 
essential  seems  to  be  running  water,  and  crevices  in  the 
abutments  of  bridges  are  often  filled  with  their  nests. 
The  hooked  edge  of  the  wings,  which  has  given  them 
their  name,  seems  to  be  slightly  less  prominent  in  the 
present  species  than  in  specimens  collected  fifty  years 
ago,  and  it  is  possible  that  this  characteristic  will  become 
modified  as  their  environment  changes. 

619.  CEDAR    WAXWING.  —  Bombycilla  cedrorum. 
FAMILY  :  The  Waxwings  and  Phai'nopeplas. 

Length:  6.50-7.50. 

Adults :  Crest,  head,  and  under  parts  soft  fawn-color,  changing  to  olive- 
yellow  on  flanks ;  streak  through  eye  velvety  black  ;  upper  parts 
plain  olive-gray,  becoming  blackish  on  wing-quills  and  tail  ;  the  latter 
tipped  with  yellow  ;  both  tail  and  wings  sometimes  tipped  with  red 
wax-like  appendages. 

Young :  Similar,  but  colors  duller,  and  under  parts  strongly,  upper  parts 
lightly,  streaked. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Whole  temperate  North  America,  from 
Atlantic  to  Pacific;  south  in  winter  to  Guatemala  and  West 
Indies. 

Pacific  Coast  Breeding  Range  :  In  the  humid  Transition  zone  of  Oregon, 
Washington,  and  British  Columbia.  No  breeding  record  for  Califor- 
nia (Grinnell). 

Breeding  Season :  June,  July,  and  August. 


260  LAND  BIRDS 

Nest:  Rather  bulky  ;  composed  of  bark,  leaves,  roots,  twigs,  weeds, 
paper,  etc. ;  lined  with  finer  grasses,  hair,  and  wool  ;  placed  usually 
in  cedar  bushes  or  orchard  trees,  from  4  to  18  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs :  3  to  5  ;  bluish  or  light  slate-color,  tinged  with  olive,  spotted  with 
brown  aud  dark  purple.  Size  0.84  X  0.61 

THE  Cedar  Waxwiug  has  kept  his  individuality  so 
unchanged  in  the  transit  from  east  to  west  that  the 
California  ornithologists  have  not  been  able  to  make  a 
Western  subspecies  of  him.  In  the  coniferous  forests  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada  they  are  the  same  handsome,  gentle 
birds  that  we  have  known  and  loved  in  other  parts  of 
the  United  States.  When  other  birds  are  absorbed  with 
the  cares  of  nest  building,  the  Waxwings  are  leisurely 
flying  in  small  companies  low  over  the  level  tree-tops, 
or  sunning  themselves  on  the  highest  twig  of  the  pines. 
After  most  of  the  forest  nestlings  are  out  of  their  cradles 
and  foraging  for  themselves,  the  quiet  Waxwings  look 
about  for  a  nesting  site  and  commence  building.  Only 
the  goldfinches  are  late  enough  to  keep  them  company. 
Both  male  and  female  Waxwings  bring  material  and 
fashion  the  nest,  though  the  former  does  most  of  the 
work.  It  is  a  coarse  affair  to  be  the  home  of  such 
dainty,  satiny  birds,  and  is  often  in  or  near  a  tree  bear- 
ing berries  or  small  fruit.  Both  sexes  share  in  the 
incubation  also,  brooding  by  turns  of  from  thirty  to  sixty 
minutes  at  a  time ;  but  it  is  the  mother  who  sleeps  there 
at  night  while  the  father  perches  in  the  same  tree. 

When  large  enough  to  leave  the  nest,  the  young 
Waxwings  look  like  their  parents,  but  lack  the  red  waxy 
tips  on  the  wing-feathers.  They  are  very  confiding  little 
creatures,  and  I  have  repeatedly  called  them  to  me  in 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          261 

the  wood,  when  they  would  answer  every  call,  coining 
nearer  and  nearer  until  they  lit  on  a  branch  of  hawthorn 
berries  I  was  carrying  and  began  to  eat  as  I  walked 
along.  I  know  of  no  other  birds  who  will  endure  so 
much  meddling  with  their  domestic  affairs  with  no  show 
of  resentment  or  deserting  the  nest.  They  will  suffer  all 
sorts  of  indignities  and  disturbance  of  nesting  site  and 
environment  without  seeming  to  be  disconcerted.  This 
is  due  to  the  remarkable  devotion  of  the  adults  to  their 
brood,  which  induces  them  to  care  for  the  young  at  what- 
ever cost  to  themselves.  Most  of  the  feeding  is  done 
by  regurgitation,  and  often  the  gular  pouches  of  the 
adult  will  be  noticeably  swollen  as  he  comes  to  the  nest 
with  it  full  of  food,  which  he  transfers  to  the  throats  of 
his  brood.  It  is  less  easy  to  tell  what  that  food  is  by 
looking  at  the  crops  of  young  birds  fed  by  regurgitation 
than  of  those  fed  with  the  raw  food,  yet  it  is  often  quite 
possible  to  do  so  with  unfeathered  nestlings.  In  the 
case  of  the  young  Waxwings  the  remains  of  insects  were 
plainly  visible  through  the  semi-transparent  skin  ;  and 
about  as  soon  as  the  feathers  appeared  the  regurgitation 
was  supplanted  by  feeding  at  first  hand  with  large  in- 
sects. The  food  of  the  adults  consists  of  insects,  seeds, 
berries  of  trees,  and  any  small  fruits  except  strawberries. 

The  Cedar  Waxwings  have  no  varied  song,  but  they 
have  a  soft,  conversational,  whistling  chirp  and  a  plain- 
tive call-note  like  "  pee-eet,  pee-eet  "  which  they  keep 
up  most  of  the  time. 

They  occur  in  California  during  the  fall,  winter,  and 
spring,  departing  in  June  for  their  northern  breeding 
grounds. 


262  LAND    BIRDS 

697.   AMERICAN    PIPIT.  —  Anthus  rubesceas. 
FAMILY  :  The  WagtaUs. 

Length:  6.00-7.00. 

Adults  in  Summer  :  Upper  parts  brownish  gray,  more  or  less  indistinctly 

streaked  ;  wings  dusky,  with  two  buffy  wing-bars  and  light  edgings  ; 

tail  dusky ;  inner  web  of  outside  feathers  white,  second  feather  buffy ; 

chin   light   cream-buff;   under  parts  buff,  streaked  with  dusky  on 

chest 
Adults  in  Winter:   Upper  parts  decidedly  browner;  under  parts  lighter, 

streaks  on  breast  usually  broader. 
Young :  Upper  parts  dull  brownish  gray ;  under  parts  dull  brownish 

white  ;  chest  spotted  or  broadly  streaked  with  blackish. 
Geographical  Distribution  :  Whole  of  North  America  ;  migrates  in  winter 

to  Gulf  States  and  California. 
Breeding  Range  :  From  about  the  timber  line  in  the  Colorado  mountains, 

north  to  the  Arctic  coast. 
Nest :  Bulky  and  rather  compact ;  composed  of  dried  mosses,  grasses, 

etc. ;  lined  with  hair,  feathers,  etc.  ;  placed  on  the  ground. 
Eggs:  4  to  6  ;  dark  chocolate-color,  surface  nearly  covered  with  grayish 

brown  specks  and  streaks.     Size  0.76  X  0.56. 

DURING  migration  and  in  the  winter  the  American 
Pipit  occurs  in  flocks  on  the  large  open  stretches  of 
country  along  the  coast  and  interior  valleys  of  California. 
Wherever  fire  has  swept  over  the  grass,  or  the  plough- 
man has  turned  the  sod,  these  dull-colored  little  birds 
alight  in  numbers  and  walk  about  picking  up  food  with 
dainty  teetering  of  head  and  tail.  If  alarmed,  they  rise 
with  one  accord  high  into  the  air,  but,  instead  of  flying 
away  to  another  meadow,  they  usually  come  back  to 
finish  their  feast  as  if  it  were  only  a  foolish  fright  after 
all.  Their  plaintive  note  is  a  softer  edition  of  the  loud 
"kill-dee"  of  the  plover,  and  is  uttered  constantly  as 
the  birds  circle  over  their  feeding  ground  or  fly  from 
one  locality  to  another. 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING 


Early  in  the  spring  the  Pipits  start  on  their  journey 
to  the  Boreal  zone,  either  in  the  far  north  or  above  the 
timber  line  in  the  mountains. 

Up  to  the  very  highest  peaks  they  wander,  where 
snow  reigns  forever  and  the  fierce  heat  of  the  lowlands 
never  comes,  there  to  build 
"  half-way  houses  on  the  road  to 
heaven."  And  although  un- 
musical in  the  lowlands,  as  soon 
as  he  reaches  the  solitude  of 
the  silent  mountains  the 
Pipit  rises  on  graceful 
wings,  a  hundred  feet  in 
the  air,  and  breaks  into  song 
with  a  melodious  crescendo, 
ending  the  flight  and  the 
song  in  a  precipitous  drop 
back  to  earth. 

In  form,  color,  and  tail-wag- 
ging, the  Pipit  is  so  like  the  water 
thrush  as  to  be  readily  confused  with 
it  but  for  one  thing,  —  the  thrush  is 
found  alone,  or  in  pairs,  and  dodges 
about  among  the  alders  low  over  the 
surface  of  a  brook ;  while  the  Pipit 
flies  high  in  the  air,  in  flocks,  for  a 
short  distance,  wheeling  like  the  killdeer  and  alighting 
near  the  starting  point.  This  species  is  a  common  winter 
visitant  and  migrant  throughout  Southern  California, 
while  the  water  thrush  is  listed  by  Mr.  Grinnell  as  rare. 


697.  AMERICAN 
PIPIT. 

"  Up  to  the  very 
highest  peaks  they 
wander." 


264  LAND  BIRDS 


701.  WATER   OUZEL,   OR   AMERICAN   DIPPER. 

Cinclus  mexicanus  unicolor. 

FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc, 

Length:  7.00-8.50. 

Adults  in  Summer :  Entire  plumage  uniform  slate-gray,  more  brownish 

on  head  and  neck ;  bill  black. 
Adults  in  fainter :  Similar,  with  feathers  of  wings  and  under  parts  tipped 

with  white. 
Young :  Plumage  similar  to  that  of  adults  in  winter,  but  under  parts 

more  or  less  mixed  with  white  and  tinged  with  rusty. 
Geographical  Distribution :    Mountainous    districts   of  Western   North 

America,  north  to  Alaska. 
California  Breeding  Range :   Along  mountain  streams   throughout   the 

State. 

Breeding  Season  :  May  to  June  15. 
Nest :  A  very  bulky,  oven-shaped  structure  ;  composed  of  green  mosses ; 

the  entrance  on  one  side;  lined   with  fine   rootlets  ;  placed  among 

rocks,  close  to  running  water  or  behind  a  waterfall. 
Eggs:  3  to  5;  white.     Size  1.01  X  0.70. 

"  AMONG  all  the  countless  waterfalls  in  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  whether  of  the  icy  peaks  or  warm  foot-hills,  or  in 
the  profound  Yosemitic  canons  of  the  middle  region,  not 
one  was  found  without  its  Ouzel.  No  canon  is  too  cold 
for  this  little  bird,  none  too  lonely,  provided  it  be  rich  in 
falling  water. 

"  During  the  golden  days  of  Indian  summer,  after 
most  of  the  snow  has  been  melted,  and  the  mountain 
streams  have  become  feeble,  —  then  the  song  of  the 
Ouzel  is  at  its  lowest  ebb.  But  as  soon  as  the  winter 
clouds  have  bloomed  and  the  mountain  treasuries  are 
once  more  replenished  with  snow,  the  voices  of  the 
streams  and  of  the  Ouzels  increase  in  strength  and 


701.     WATER  OUZEL,  OR  AMERICAN  DIPPI 

Cinclus  mexicanus  unicolor 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          265 

richness  until  the  flood  season  of  the  early  summer. 
Then  the  torrents  chant  their  noblest  anthems,  and  then 
is  the  flood-tide  of  our  songster's  melody.  As  for  weather, 
dark  days  and  sun  days  are  alike  to  him.  No  need  of 
spring  sunshine  to  thaw  his  song,  for  it  never  freezes. 
Never  shall  you  hear  anything  wintry  from  his  warm 
breast,  no  pinched  cheeping,  no  wavering  notes  between 
sorrow  and  joy ;  his  mellow  fluty  voice  is  ever  tuned  to 
downright  gladness,  as  free  from  dejection '  as  cock- 
crowing.  .  .  .  The  more  striking  strains  are  perfect  ara- 
besques of  melody,  composed  of  a  few  full,  round,  mellow 
notes,  embroidered  with  delicate  trills  which  fade  and 
melt  in  long  slender  cadences.  In  a  general  way  his 
music  is  that  of  the  streams  refined  and  spiritualized. 
The  deep  booming  notes  of  the  falls  are  in  it,  the  trills 
of  rapids,  the  gurgling  of  margin  eddies,  the  low  whis- 
pering of  level  reaches  and  the  sweet  tinkle  of  separate 
drops  oozing  from  the  ends  of  mosses  and  falling  into 
tranquil  pools."  1 

After  this  exquisite  description  gleaned  from  Mr.  Muir's 
essay  on  the  Water  Ouzel,  one  scarcely  dares  attempt 
anything  original  on  the  subject.  And  yet  the  thrill  of 
discovering  my  first  Ouzel's  nest  will  never  be  forgotten. 
Often  had  I  watched  the  bird  fly  through  the  waterfalls, 
dart  into  the  swirling  rapids,  or  courtesy  daintily  on  a  rock 
that  rose  in  the  middle  of  a  white  torrent ;  often  heard 
his  clear  song  rising  above  the  wild  tumult  of  the  water ; 
often  seen  the  ball  of  moss  on  a  slender  shelf  of  rock 
wet  by  the  spray,  and  been  told  that  it  was  the  nest 

1  John  Muir,  in  "The  Mountains  of  California." 


266  LAND   BIRDS 

of  a  Water  Ouzel.  But  to  find  one  in  the  middle  of  a 
pine-fringed  mountain  stream,  where  it  seemed  to  be- 
long just  to  the  bird  and  me,  —  ah,  that  was  a  different 
matter. 

It  was  located  on  a  smooth  granite  boulder  that  rose 
from  the  white  foam  of  the  American  River  in  the  Sierra 
Nevada.  Resting  half  on  the  rock  and  half  in  the 
stream  was  a  fallen  tree  trunk,  and  under  the  shelter 
of  this  on  the  slippery  rock  the  Ouzel  had  woven  his 
little  moss  nest,  kept  fresh  and  green  by  the  spray  that 
dashed  over  it.  As  the  mother  approached  the  nest, 
she  paused  just  a  breath  on  a  projecting  point  of  the 
old  trunk,  and  I  distinctly  saw  that  she  carried  the 
larva  of  some  water  insect  in  her  beak.  The  babies  in 
the  nest  knew  it  also,  and  the  small  doorway,  where  a 
dainty  fern  nodded  its  green  plumes,  instantly  blossomed 
with  four  little  heads.  Four  hungry  mouths  opened 
wide  to  receive  the  morsel.  How  would  she  apportion 
it  among  so  many  ?  After  a  moment  of  indecision,  she 
tucked  it  deftly  into  one  of  the  four  gaping  yellow  bills ; 
then,  as  if  afraid  of  a  wail  of  protest  from  those  still 
unfilled,  she  darted  hastily  into  the  water  and  was  lost 
to  view.  In  exactly  three  minutes  she  appeared  on  the 
tree  trunk  again  with  another  of  the  queer-looking  larvae, 
and  again  the  four  nestlings  stretched  hungry  little  beaks 
to  be  filled.  This  time  she  was  joined  by  the  male,  who, 
though  he  came  last,  managed  to  deliver  his  load  first, 
and  perching  on  a  smaller  stone  near  by,  where  the  spray 
dashed  over  him  as  he  sang,  he  poured  out  his  joy  in 
sweetest  music.  How  I  longed  to  have  the  river  keep 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          267 

silence  for  one  moment  that  I  might  hear  the  wonderful 
song !  The  twitter  of  the  young  was  clearly  audible 
from  where  I  sat,  twenty  feet  away,  and  the  melody  of 
the  father  bird's  rhapsody  rang  clearly  over  the  noise 
of  the  rapids,  but  there  must  have  been  half  tones  lost 
in  the  tumult  that  were  even  sweeter  than  the  notes 
that  reached  my  ears.  His  song  ended,  into  the  water 
he  plunged  where  the  current  was  swiftest  and  where  a 
strong  man  could  not  venture  and  live.  Yet  the  bird 
flew  upstream  against  it  as  easily  as  if  in  the  air 
alone. 

In  feeding  the  young,  both  adults  hovered  just  below 
the  entrance  to  the  nest,  as  a  humming-bird  beneath  a 
flower,  darting  up  with  a  little  bound  to  deliver  the 
food.  The  queer-looking  larvae  were  evidently  picked 
up  on  the  bottom  of  the  river,  but  did  not,  I  am  sure, 
belong  to  any  species  of  mosquito,  for  each  was  an  inch 
and  a  half  long  and  seemed  to  have  many  legs,  like 
a  scorpion.  These  constituted  fully  half  of  the  food 
brought,  and  the  rest  was  too  small  to  be  accurately 
identified.  One  or  the  other  of  the  adults  came  to  the 
nest  as  often  as  every  ten  minutes  during  the  week  that 
I  watched  them,  and  at  times  the  intervals  were  much 
shorter.  They  invariably  approached  the  nest  in  the 
same  way,  alighting  first  on  a  smaller  rock  whose  top 
just  broke  the  surface  into  foam,  dipping  and  winking 
awhile  on  it,  and  hopping  to  the  projecting  splinter  on 
the  trunk,  whence,  after  more  dipping  and  winking,  they 
fluttered  over  to  the  nest.  The  little  Ouzels  never  ap- 
peared in  the  doorway  until  the  parent  had  come  to  the 


268  LAND  BIRDS 

tree  trunk,  and  I  think  some  signal  note  was  uttered  by 
the  latter  which  told  the  nestlings  that  dinner  was  ready. 
Later  on,  in  another  locality,  I  witnessed  the  d^but 
of  one  of  these  interesting  water-babies.  He  was  a 
comical  counterpart  of  the  adults,  wink  and  all,  except 
for  the  touch  of  white  on  his  feathers  and  his  absurdly 
short  tail,  rendered  more  absurd  by  his  continual  bob- 
bing dip.  This  dipping  on  the  part  of  young  and  old 
Water  Ouzels  is  a  distressingly  undecided  performance, 
as  if  the  bird  could  not  quite  make  up  his  mind  whether 
or  not  to  sit  down,  and  stood  continually  in  the  valley 
of  indecision.  This  young  Ouzel  remained  all  day  on  a 
ledge  at  the  foot  of  the  wall  of  rock  which  held  his 
former  nursery,  and  was  fed  by  the  male  as  devotedly 
as  though  still  in  the  nest.  So  long  as  it  was  light 
enough  to  see,  he  was  there,  and  at  my  last  glimpse  of 
'him  he  stood  winking  and  dipping  in  the  same  funny 
way.  The  other  nestlings  were  still  in  the  oven-like 
ball  of  green  moss  wherein  they  had  been  hatched,  and 
their  heads  filled  the  doorway  in  eager  petitioning  for 
food.  It  never  came  often  enough  or  in  sufficient  quan- 
tities to  satisfy  them,  and  one  could  only  wonder  when 
the  overworked  parents  found  time  to  supply  their  own 


702.     SAGE   THRASHER.  —  Oroscoptes  montanus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Length :  8.00-9.00. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  brownish  gray,  indistinctly  streaked;  two  narrow 
white  wing-bars  ;  inner  webs  of  two  to  four  outer  tail-feathers  broadly 
tipped  with  white ;  under  parts  whitish,  tinged  with  buffy  on  flanks 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          269 

and  under  tail-coverts  ;  the  chest,  breast,  and  sides  thickly  marked 

with  wedge-shaped  longitudinal  spots  and  streaks  of  dusky. 
Young:  Similar  to  adult,  but  upper  parts  indistinctly  streaked  with 

darker,  and  streaks  on  under  parts  less  sharply  defined. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Sagebrush  plains  of  Western  United  States, 

from  Montana  sputh  in  winter  to  Mexico. 
California  Breeding  Mange:  In  upper   Sonoran  zone   southeast  of  the 

Sierra  Nevada. 

Breeding  Season :  March  to  July. 
Nest:  A  loose,  bulky  structure ;  made  of  bark  strips,  small  twigs,  dry 

sage  shreds  ;  lined  with  fine  stems  and  rootlets,  and  sometimes  hair  ; 

placed  generally  in  sagebrush  from  10  inches  to  3  feet  from  the  ground. 
Eggs :  3  to  5  ;  rich  greenish  blue,  spotted  with  bright  reddish  brown. 

Size  0.95  X  0.70. 

EVEN  amid  the  sands  and  barrenness  of  the  sage- 
brush district,  you  may  hear  the  full,  sweet  song  of  the 
Thrasher  and  dream  that  you  are  in  a  shady  nook  of 
New  England  with  a  babbling  brook  at  your  feet  and 
the  thick  green  canopy  of  vines  overhead,  —  that  is,  if 
you  close  your  eyes  and  forget  the  glare  of  the  desert 
sunshine.  What  a  medley  of  music  he  pours  from  that 
full  throat !  It  is  a  sort  of  "  rag-time,"  and  uncon- 
sciously you  interpret  it  in  words  as  mixed  as  the  tune. 
Who  else  can  do  it  but  the  brown  thrasher  of  the  East  ? 
It  is  somewhat  of  a  shock  to  open  your  eyes  and  see 
the  grayish  bird  singing  in  the  top  of  the  low  sage- 
bush  with,  maybe,  not  a  tree  in  sight.  But  his  droop- 
ing tail  and  raised  bill  proclaim  him  a  true  thrasher  for 
all  his  queer  environment.  Somewhere  in  the  sage- 
brush his  mate  is  patiently  brooding  on  the  four  or  five 
blue  eggs.  For  fourteen  days  she  keeps  to  her  appointed 
task,  and  then  her  busy  life  begins  anew.  There  are 
naked  nestlings  to  be  fed,  and  all  the  food  must  be 
swallowed  by  the  adult  before  the  delicate  baby  throats 


270  LAND   BIRDS 

can  receive  it.  At  first  the  young  Thrashers  seem  to  be 
all  legs  and  bills,  but  on  the  second  day  the  down  grows 
more  perceptible  on  head  and  back.  On  the  fifth  day 
the  eyes  are  open,  the  feathers  show  well,  and  the  food 
is  given  to  them  in  a  fresh  state.  Worms  and  insects 
of  all  sorts  form  the  Thrasher's  menu,  and  these  he  ob- 
tains mostly  on  the  ground  under  the  bushes,  working 
hard  early  and  late  to  supply  the  hungry  brood  with 
food.  It  is  not  an  easy  task  to  raise  nestlings  in  such 
surroundings.  In  some  localities  lizards  and  snakes  rifle 
the  nests  of  eggs  and  young,  while  in  others  hungry 
owls  make  havoc.  My  observations  go  to  prove  that 
the  destruction  from  various  causes  outside  of  human 
agency  is  greater  among  Thrashers  than  among  almost 
any  other  wild  birds. 

710.     CALIFORNIAN   THRASHER.  —  Toxostoma 
redivivum. 

FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Length:  11.50-13.00. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  deep  grayish  brown,  the  tail  darker  and  browner  ; 
under  parts  dull  buffy,  darker  on  chest ;  under  tail-coverts  tawny  ; 
ear-coverts  dusky,  with  distinct  whitish  shaft-streaks. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Coast  district  of  California,  south  to  Lower 
California  (F.  M.  Bailey). 

California  Breeding  Range:  Coast  region  of  California  north  of  lat- 
itude 35°. 

Breeding  Season  :  March  to  August. 

Nest :  A  coarse,  rudely  constructed  platform  of  sticky,  coarse  grass  and 
mosses  ;  placed  in  bushes. 

Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  light  greenish  blue,  spotted  with  chestnut.  Size  1.18  X 
0.85. 

To  the  bird-loving  tourist  or  new-comer,  accustomed 
to  the  one  brown  thrasher  of  the  East,  the  five  or  six 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING          271 

species  of  thrasher  found  in  California  are  a  little  puz- 
zling. Of  them  all,  the  Californian  Thrasher  is  the  most 
widely  distributed  and  best  known.  In  form,  habit,  and 
song  he  is  very  like  the  Eastern  bird,  except  that  his 
tones  have  a  metallic  quality  entirely  lacking  in  that  of 
the  brown  thrasher. 

The  young  Thrashers  leave  the  nest  when  twelve  to 
fourteen  days  old,  but  are  fed  by  the  adults  for  some 
time  after.  I  have  found  the  male  caring  for  a  fully 
fledged  brood,  while  his  mate  was  sitting  on  a  nestful 
of  eggs ;  and  after  this  second  series  were  hatched,  he  at 
once  began  to  feed  them  as  faithfully  as  he  had  fed  the 
first.  Even  with  all  this,  he  one  day  managed  to  sing  a 
very  short,  low  monologue  which  had  in  it  the  sugges- 
tion of  all  his  old-time  ardor. 

Both  sexes  assist  in  the  construction  of  the  bulky 
nest,  and  both  brood  on  the  eggs.  In  fourteen  days  the 
naked  pink  young  emerge  from  the  shells  and  are  fed 
by  regurgitation  for  four  days,  or  until  their  eyes  open. 
By  regurgitation,  in  such  cases,  I  mean  that  the  food  is 
swallowed  by  the  adults  first,  though  it  may  or  may 
not  be  partially  digested  by  them.  I  believe  it  is  not 
digested,  but  is  swallowed  for  the  purpose  of  softening 
and  moistening  it.  After  the  fourth  or  fifth  day,  how- 
ever, large  insects  are  given  to  the  young,  having  been 
first  carefully  denuded  of  wings,  legs,  etc.  Young 
Thrashers,  while  less  voracious  than  young  robins,  yet 
require  their  meals  at  short  intervals,  and  long  after  they 
are  out  of  the  nest  the  overgrown  fledglings  follow  the 
adults  about  begging  for  food.  But  they  soon  learn  to 


272  LAND  BIRDS 

swing  their  long  bills  sickle-fashion  through  the  dead 
leaves,  and  to  pick  up  the  insects  uncovered  by  it  or  to 
probe  in  the  soft  mould  for  worms. 

In  describing  the  song  of  the  Californian  Thrasher 
Mr.  Williams  says  that  mingled  with  its  own  peculiar 
notes  are  various  imitative  sounds,  as  the  "  quare,  quare, 
quare  "  of  the  jay,  the  "  kwee-kwee-kuk  "  of  the  Western 
robin,  the  piping  call  of  the  valley  quail,  and  the  harsh 
cackle  of  the  flicker. 


710  a.    PASADENA   THRASHER.  —  Toxostoma   redivivum 
pasadenense. 

FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Length:  About  12.00. 

Adults :  Similar  to  the  Californian  thrasher,  but  colors  duller,  chest-band 

darker  ;  throat  white. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Interior  of  Southern  California. 
California  Breeding  Range :   Below  Transition  zone  iu  the  San  Diegan 

district. 
Breeding  Season :  December  to  May. 

THE  Pasadena  Thrasher  is  a  local  subspecies  of  the 
Californian  thrasher.  There  is  one  authentic  record  of 
eggs  laid  by  this  bird  on  December  16,  and  from  this  a 
very  pretty  story,  entitled  "A  California  Christmas 
Carol,"  has  been  woven  in  "The  Sunset,"  January,  1903, 
which  describes  the  affair  as  if  it  were  the  ordinary  habit 
of  this  bird  to  rear  his  brood  at  Christmas  tide.  The 
usual  nesting  season  begins  late  in  January  and  extends 
to  the  middle  of  May,  though  nests  have  occasionally 
been  found  later. 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          273 

The  song  of  the  Pasadena  Thrasher  is  at  its  best 
during  the  late  winter,  and  is  a  jolly  rollicking  rounde- 
lay, as  full  of  fun  and  mimicry  as  that  of  the  California!!. 
The  nesting  habits  are  very  similar,  modified  only  by  its 
more  southern  range. 


711     LECONTE   THRASHER.  —  Toxostoma  lecontei. 
FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Length:  10.50-11.00. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  light  grayish  brown ;  tail  dusky  and  tipped  with 
lighter  ;  under  parts  dove-color,  becoming  white  on  throat  and  belly  ; 
the  under  tail-coverts  bright  tawny  buff,  in  marked  contrast  ;  ear- 
coverts  light  brownish  gray  ;  a  distinct  malar  stripe  of  whitish, 
narrowly  barred  with  dusky  ;  a  distinct  dusky  streak  along  each  side 
of  throat. 

Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  upper  tail-coverts  more  rusty,  and  under 
tail-coverts  paler. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Lower  Sonoran  zone  in  the  desert  region 
from  Southwestern  Utah  to  Southern  California  and  south  to  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range  :  Desert  region  of  Southeastern  California. 

Breeding  Season  :  February  to  May. 

Nest :  Large  and  bulky ;  made  of  twigs,  grasses,  and  weeds  ;  lined  with 
feathers  ;  placed  in  cactus  bushes  or  mesquite  trees  from  1  to  7 
feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs :  3  or  4  ;  pale  bluish  green,  faintly  speckled,  chiefly  at  the  larger 
end,  with  yellowish  brown  and  lavender.  Size  1.07  X  0.76. 

THE  Leconte  Thrasher  loves  the  barren  desert  as  a 
petrel  loves  the  sea  ;  and  so  many  generations  have  its 
hot  suns  beaten  down  upon  his  race  that  the  character- 
istic light  brown  of  the  family  has  faded  to  dull  grayish 
tinged  with  brown,  and  his  breast  has  taken  on  the  ashy 
hues  of  the  alkali  dust.  Wastes  of  sand  with  sparse 
patches  of  sagebrush,  cactus,  and  perhaps  mesquite  are 

18 


274 


LAND  BIRDS 


his  favorite  haunts,  and  from  the  top  of  this  stunted, 
grayish  green  vegetation, 
he  peals  out  the  earliest 
greeting  to  the  day.  So 
r-~?r-  loud  and  so  enthusi- 
astic is  his  song  that 
it  can  be  heard  nearly 
^  half  a  mile  away.  As 
the  sun  rises  and  the  air 
grows  hotter  his  music 
ceases,  and  he  skulks 
among  the  sagebrush 
until  evening,  when  he 
sings  again,  sometimes  far 
into  the  night.  If  you 
have  camped  in  this 
dreary  waste  with  the  marvel- 
lously bright  stars  overhead 
and  the  silence  of  the  desert 
around  you  like  a  tomb,  the 
song  of  the  Leconte  Thrasher, 
breaking  the  mysterious  still- 
ness, has  seemed  the  sweet- 
est music  ever  heard  by  mortal  ears. 


711.    LECONTE  THRASHER. 

"He  loves  the  barrenness  of  the 
desert." 


712.    CRISSAL   THRASHER.  —  Toxostoma  crissale. 
FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Length:  11.40-12.60. 

Adults:  Bill  long,  sharply  curved;  upper  parts  plain  grayish  brown, 
the  tail  darker  and  faintly  tipped  with  rufous  ;  under  parts  dark  fawn 
or  grayish;  the  chin  and  throat  nearly  white;  under  tail-coverts 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          275 

chestnut ;  malar  stripe  white,  with  dusky  streak  under  same  on  each 
side  of  throat. 

Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  more  rusty  on  upper  parts,  especially  on 
rump  and  tips  of  tail-feathers ;  lower  parts  more  fulvous. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Southern  California  and  Northern  Lower 
California,  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  and  Utah,  east  to  Western  Texas. 

California  Breeding  Range  :  Locally  in  desert  regions  along  lower  Colo- 
rado River,  from  Fort  Yuma,  northwest  to  Palrn  Springs. 

Breeding  Season :  February  to  July. 

Nest:  Large  and  conspicuous;  made  of  coarse  twigs  ;  lined  with  strips 
of  plant  bark  ;  placed  in  bushes. 

Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  pale  greenish  blue.     Size  1.08  X  0.75. 

LOOK  for  the  Crissal  Thrasher  in  the  low,  bushy  un- 
derbrush of  the  valleys  where  a  clear  brook  winds  its 
way  or  a  pond  hides  in  a  fringe  of  alders.  Rarely  will 
you  find  him  nesting  at  any  great  distance  from  water, 
and  one  of  the  first  lessons  he  gives  his  brood  is  to  take 
a  morning  splash.  It  is  well  worth  while  rising  at  four 
A.  M.  to  see  him  plunge  so  eagerly  into  the  cold  water  and 
splash  it  in  a  shower  of  sparkling  drops.  The  bath  over, 
he  flies  up  to  the  top  of  a  tall  bush  to  preen  his  wet 
feathers  and  fill  the  air  with  melody.  His  song  is  un- 
like that  of  any  other  thrasher  in  its  smoothness  of  exe- 
cution and  richness  of  tone.  Every  note  is  sweet,  true, 
and  perfect,  but  the  whole  lacks  the  spasmodic  brilliancy 
we  are  accustomed  to  expect  in  his  family.  It  has  a 
more  spiritual  quality  but  less  dash.  From  February 
until  late  in  April  this  Thrasher  sings  his  sweetest,  for 
then  is  his  springtime  of  love  and  joy.  From  that  time 
on  through  July,  when  the  second  brood  is  fledged,  he 
sings  less  enthusiastically,  and  soon  he  ceases  altogether. 
Late  in  the  autumn  he  sometimes  is  heard  again  in  the 
valleys,  but  the  full  sweetness  is  withheld  until  the 
mating  season  comes  again,  in  February. 


276  LAND  BIRDS 

After  the  breeding  season,  and  often  for  his  second 
brood,  the  Crissal  Thrasher  ranges  high  up  into  the  oak- 
covered  foot-hills,  returning  to  the  valleys  with  the  first 
fall  days. 

The  young  Thrashers  hatch  in  fourteen  days.  They  are 
naked,  except  for  the  faintest  suggestion  of  down  on 
head  and  back,  and  are  fed  by  regurgitatiou  until  four 
days  old.  On  the  ninth  day  the  young  are  feathered  all 
but  the  wings  and  tail,  which  still  wear  their  sheaths, 
and  the  featherless  tracts  which  are  on  all  young  birds. 
The  iris  of  the  eye  is  white  at  this  time,  but  gradually 
becomes  straw-color  like  that  of  the  adult. 

Unless  startled  into  an  earlier  exit,  the  Thrasher  nest- 
lings do  not  leave  the  cradle  until  eleven  or  twelve  days 
old,  and  aven  then  they  hide  in  the  bushes  for  many  en- 
suing days,  helplessly  waiting  to  be  fed  by  the  adult. 

Mr.  Mearns  tells  in  "  The  Auk  "  of  shooting  a  female 
Crissal  Thrasher  and,  on  going  back  the  next  day  after 
the  nest,  he  found  the  male  patiently  brooding  on  the 
two  eggs.  Surely  such  devotion  in  a  bird  deserves  a 
better  end  than  the  collector's  basket. 

713.   CACTUS    WREN.  —  Heleodijtes  brunneicapillus  couesl 
FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Length:  8.00-8.75. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  brown,  back  streaked  with  white  and  black  ;  wings 
spotted  with  pale  grayish  brown  and  whitish  on  a  dusky  ground  ;  tail 
black,  except  for  brownish  gray  middle  feathers,  which  are  spotted 
with  black,  and  the  outside  feathers  barred  with  white  ;  conspicuous 
white  superciliary  stripe,  bordered  beneath  by  a  dusky  line;  throat 
and  chest  white,  heavily  spotted  with  black,  in  contrast  to  buffy 
brown  belly,  which  is  sparsely  marked  with  brown. 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING  277 

•  Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  streaks  on  back  less  distinct,  spots  on 

under  parts  smaller,  and  colors  more  suffused. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Southwestern  border  of  United  States  from 

Southern  Texas  to  coast  of  Southern  California,  south  into  Mexico, 

north  to  Utah. 
California  Breeding  Range  :  Lower  Sonoran  zone  in  Southern  California, 

on  both  sides  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season  :  April  15  to  August  1. 
Nest:  Placed  in  cactus  or  thorny  bushes;  flask-shaped,  with  an  entrance 

at  one  end  ;  made  of  little  twigs  and  grasses  ;  lined  with  feathers. 
Eggs:  4  to  7  ;    white  or  creamy  white,  thickly  covered   with  reddish 

brown  spots.     Size  0.97  X  0.65. 

UNLESS  you  have  heard  the  Cactus  Wren  sing,  you 
will  wonder  at  the  science  that  classes  him  with  the 
wrens.  But  when  you  listen  to  the  rich,  ringing,  wren- 
like  song,  and  come  upon  the  singer  sitting  on  a  thorny 
twig  in  the  exact  attitude  of  the  thrashers,  with  lifted 
bill  and  tail  curved  downward,  you  are  satisfied  to  leave 
his  name  among  the  wren  family.  He  sings  constantly 
as  well  as  sweetly.  His  clear  notes  are  the  first  to 
waken  the  weary  camper  in  the  morning,  and  oftentimes 
they  alone  break  the  death-like  hush  of  evening.  The 
Leconte  thrasher  runs  him  a  close  race  in  this,  but,  I 
believe,  is  always  a  little  short  of  winning.  A  spirit 
brave  enough  to  sing  in  all  the  dreary  waste  and  scorch- 
ing heat  wins  your  honest  admiration,  and  you  try  to 
imagine  what  the  parched  and  silent  desert  would  be 
without  these  two  birds. 

In  places  it  seems  as  if  every  other  cactus  contained  a 
nest  of  this  species,  so  common  is  it.  A  long,  purse- 
shaped  affair,  it  is  laid  flat  in  the  fork  of  a  cactus  and 
having  a  doorway  at  the  small  end  whereby  the  busy 
brown  mother  may  enter.  Another  wren-like  trait  of  this 


278  LAND   BIRDS 

bird  is  the  building  of  dummy  nests.  I  can  find  no  au- 
thority for  this  statement  other  than  my  own  observation, 
but  am  positive  investigation  will  prove  it  to  be  true. 
The  male  sometimes,  if  not  invariably,  sleeps  in  one  of 
these  "  dummies. " 

By  cutting   a   slit   in   the   roof  of  a  nest  containing 
young,   it   was   possible   to  watch   the   brood   develop. 


713.  CACTUS  WREN. 

"  A  long,  purse-shaped  affair." 

This  slit  was  closed  and  fastened  after  each  examina- 
tion. At  first  they  were  the  usual  naked,  pinkish  nest- 
lings, with  a  sparse  sprinkling  of  whitish  down  on  crown 
and  back,  but  they  soon  took  on  the  soft  brown  and 
white  plumage  of  young  wrens,  and  were  remarkably  en- 
terprising. While  very  young  they  were  fed  by  regurgi- 
tation,  but  on  the  fifth  day,  when  their  eyes  had  opened, 
the  parents  carried  insects  in  their  beaks  when  they  entered 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          279 

the  nest,  and  then  the  crops  of  the  young  plainly  indicated 
a  stronger  diet.  By  regurgitation  in  a  case  like  this,  I 
mean  that  the  adults  masticated  the  food  and  carried  it 
in  their  own  gular  pouch,  or  crop,  to  the  young.  During 
the  last  few  days  that  the  young  Wrens  spent  in  the  nest 
the  doorway  was  full  of  little  brown  heads  most  of  the 
time,  and  the  mother  no  longer  went  inside  to  feed  them. 
She  still  slept  in  the  nest  with  them,  however,  and  each 
night  there  was  a  struggle  for  supremacy  between  the 
nestlings  who  wished  to  look  out  and  the  mother  who 
tried  to  get  in.  Finally,  one  morning  when  she  emerged, 
it  seemed  as  if  the  cork  had  popped  from  a  bottle  allow- 
ing the  contents  to  escape,  for  two  of  the  youngsters 
darted  out  close  behind  her,  and  two  more  peeped  from 
the  doorway.  Except  for  smaller,  plumper  form  and 
softer  coloring,  they  were  exact  counterparts  of  the 
adults,  and  they  possessed  the  nervous  activity  of  their 
family. 

715.    ROCK    WREN.  —  Salpinctes  obsoletus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Length:  5.12-6.35. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  more  or  less  speckled  with  dusky 
and  white  dots  ;  rump  light  brown  ;  tail  tipped  with  buffy  brown  and 
with  subterminal  band  of  black  ;  middle  dusky  ;  under  parts  dull 
whitish  ;  flank  tinged  with  pale  cinnamon ;  chest  usually  finely 
speckled ;  under  tail-coverts  barred  with  blackish. 

Young:  Upper  parts  plain  rusty -gray  ;  under  parts  whitish  on  throat  and 
breast,  brownish  on  flanks  and  under  tail-coverts. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Arid  regions  of  Western  United  States,  east 
to  the  Great  Plains,  south  to  Mexico,  north  to  British  Columbia. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Locally  throughout  the  State,  chiefly  east 
of  the  humid  coast  belt.  Recorded  from  the  Farallones. 


280  LAND   BIRDS 

Breeding  Season  :  March  and  April. 

Nest :  Usually  placed  in  a  rift  of  rocks  or  on  the  ground  under  a  project- 
ing rock,  sometimes  in  hollow  stumps  or  about  buildings  ;  composed 
of  sticks,  bark  strips,  weeds,  grasses,  moss,  etc. 

Eggs:  7  to  9  ;  pure  glossy  white,  finely  speckled  with  a  few  reddish 
brown  spots,  chiefly  at  the  larger  end.  Size  0.72  X  0.54. 


AFTER  finding  this  Wren,  the  only  land  bird  among 
the  thousands  of  sea  fowl  on  the  Farallone  Islands,  one 
is  inclined  to  believe  that  he  is  well  named,  since  all  he 
asks  for  in  a  home  are  bare  bleak  rocks  in  which  to 
hide. 

In  the  deserted  rocky  canons,  where  even  sparse  vege- 
tation refuses  to  grow,  he  may  be  seen  busily  hunting 
insects  in  the  crevices  of  the  rocks,  dodging  in  and  out 
among  the  boulders,  picking  up  spiders  and  worms,  and 
uttering  his  crisp,  loud  note.  If  you  startle  him  he  will 
fly  a  few  feet  to  the  top  of  a  small  rock  and,  facing  you, 
sway  from  side  to  side,  scolding  and  bobbing  in  comical 
excitement.  It  may  be  that  his  nest  is  close  by  in  one 
of  the  dark  crannies,  but,  as  a  rule,  only  the  master  and 
mistress  of  the  household  can  pass  through  the  narrow 
doorway.  About  the  entrance  is  a  curious  conglomera- 
tion of  treasures,  evidently  carried  there  by  the  bird. 
Bits  of  glass,  pebbles,  shells,  and  anything  else  that 
strikes  his  fancy,  are  carefully  collected  in  his  dooryard. 
On  the  Farallones,  mussel  shells,  small  bones,  and  small 
pieces  of  coal  form  the  usual  collection.  The  nest  itself 
is  lined  with  feathers  and  hair  or  wool,  or  any  available 
soft  substance.  While  you  are  searching  for  it,  the  gay 
little  Rock  Wren  is  doing  his  best  to  lead  you  astray. 
As  Mr.  Keyser  so  aptly  says,  "  He  will  leap  upon  a  rock 


WITH    BROWN    PREDOMINATING  281 

and  send  forth  his  bell-like  peal  as  if  he  were  saying 
'  Right  here,  right  here,  here  is  our  nest,'  but  when  you 
go  to  the  spot  he  flits  off  to  another  rock  and  sounds  the 
same  challenge."  If  perchance  you  find  the  treasure,  the 
anxiety  of  the  tiny  brown  householder  manifests  itself 
in  ludicrous  tail-waggings  and  excited  bobbings,  together 
with  energetic  scolding  protests.  The  half-fledged  nest- 
lings are  soft  brown  balls  of  feathers  with  only  a  promise 
of  the  perky  little  tail  of  the  adults.  Apparently  they 
have  all  the  nervous  activity  of  their  race,  for  even 
in  the  nest  they  wriggle  and  fuss. 

The  Rock  Wren's  song,  which  Mrs.  Bailey  calls  the 
"  most  unbird-like  of  machine-made  tinklings,"  is  peculiar 
to  himself,  and  once  heard  will  be  recognized  instantly 
ever  afterwards. 


717  a.    CANON    WREN.  —  Catherpes  mexicanus  conspersus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Length:  5.50-5.75. 

Adults:  Plumage  conspicuously  brown,  except  for  white  throat  and 
breast ;  upper  parts  varying  from  dull  brown  to  cinnamon-grayish 
and  speckled  with  white  and  blackish  ;  the  wings  cinnamon-rusty 
and  barred  with  dusky  tail  light  reddish  brown  with  narrow  black 
bars ;  belly  dull  reddish  brown. 

Young:  Similar  to  adults,  but  without  white  spots  on  upper  and  poste- 
rior under  parts,  which  are  instead  mottled  more  or  less  with  dusky. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Southwestern  United  States,  north  to  Wyo- 
ming, east  to  Texas  and  Rocky  Mountains,  south  to  Lower  California 
and  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range:  Desert  ranges  southeast  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada. 

Breeding  Season  :  April,  May,  and  June. 

Nest:  Generally  placed  in  some  deserted  tunnel  or  cave,  or  in  holes  in 


282  LAND   BIRDS 

bluffs  or  about  buildings ;    made  of  twigs,   stalks,    bits  of  leaves ; 
covered  with  moss,  and  lined  with  down  and  feathers. 
Eggs :  3  to  5  ;  speckled  chiefly  at  the  larger  end  with  reddish  brown  and 
lavender  gray.     Size  0.72  X  0.53. 

THE  Canon  Wren  is  found  in  the  southeastern  portion 
of  California  among  the  mountains  of  the  desert  range. 
In  habits  he  is  like  the  dotted  canon  wren,  though 
much  less  often  seen  than  the  latter,  because  less  com- 
mon. Wherever  he  occurs  in  California  he  is  a  resident, 
remaining  practically  in  the  same  portion  of  the  same 
canon  all  his  life. 


717  b.   DOTTED    CANON    WREN.  —  Caf herpes  mexicanus 
punctulatus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Similar  to  canon  wren  (C.  m.  conspersus),  but  smaller,  bill  shorter,  and 

spots  on  back  more  numerous  and  more  conspicuous. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Oregon  and  California  west  of  the  Cascades 

and  Sierra  Nevada,  as  far  south  as  Lower  California. 
California  Breeding  Range  :  Local  in  Transition  zone  on  west  slope  of 

the  Sierra  Nevada.  Rarely  in  Coast  Range  north  to  Mt.  St.  Helen's. 
Breeding  Season  :  April. 

Nest:  In  crevices  of  rocks  or  on  ledges  of  cliffs  ;  made  of  green  moss. 
Eggs :  3  to  5  ;  white,  speckled  with  rusty-brown  and  purple. 

THE  Dotted  Canon  Wren  is  a  fairly  common  resident 
in  certain  parts  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  chiefly  along  the 
west  slope.  He  may  be  seen  darting  in  and  out  on  the 
steep  sides  of  rocky  canons,  and,  but  for  his  white  throat, 
looking  much  like  a  big  brown  bug.  A  nearer  view 
with  field  glasses  reveals  the  tiny  black  and  white  polka- 
dots  of  his  brown  coat.  He  is  a  handsome  little  fellow 
and  a  fine  singer,  making  the  cool  depths  of  the  canon 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING          283 

ring  with  his  jubilant  song.  "The  Bugler"  some  one 
has  called  him,  and  one  thinks  of  the  name  whenever 
listening  to  the  song.  He  is  a  rather  shy  bird,  creeping 
in  and  out  among  the  rocks,  pausing  a  moment  to  eye 
the  intruder  curiously,  tilt  his  tail,  and  scurry  off  again. 
The  busy  search  in  every  crack  of  the  hard  stone  for 
possible  insects  so  absorbs  him  that  he  has  no  time  to 
speculate  on  what  business  the  intruder  may  have  there. 
Enough  for  him  if  he  can  place  a  boulder  between  him- 
self and  observing  eyes  while  he  gathers  food  for  his 
mate  or  his  brood.  His  long  bill  probes  every  moss- 
covered  crevice  and  tiny  hole,  and  often  you  may  see 
him  jerk  a  worm  out  of  its  hiding  place  and  scramble  up 
the  canon  wall  to  his  nest  with  it.  A  tiny  hole  is  the 
entrance  to  his  nesting  site,  sometimes  under  a  boulder, 
sometimes  far  up  the  face  of  a  cliff.  He  will  fly  down 
from  it,  or  rather  drop  down  with  closed  wings  like  a 
stone,  but  I  have  never  seen  him  fly  all  the  way  up  to 
it.  Sometimes  he  ascends  by  a  series  of  short  flights,  but 
oftener  by  hops  and  fluttering  scrambles.  He  loves  those 
bare  bleak  rocks  and  sits  upon  them  to  sing,  rather  than 
upon  any  vegetation  there  may  be,  hiding  behind  them 
or  on  them,  much  as  the  lizards  do. 

The  only  nest  of  this  variety  I  have  ever  seen  re- 
sembled that  of  a  pewee  in  material  and  construction, 
but  was  much  larger  and  more  loosely  put  together. 
The  moss  of  the  outside  was  fresh  and  green,  in  ex- 
quisite contrast  with  the  lining  of  silver  plant-down 
and  with  the  gray  stone  cliff.  In  it  were  five  diminu- 
tive Wrens,  the  brightest,  perkiest  bird-babies  imaginable. 


284  LAND  BIRDS 

The  effect  was  irresistibly  funny  when  one  ventured  out 
to  the  edge  of  the  nest  and  tilted  its  comically  small  tail 
in  exact  imitation  of  its  elders.  Unfortunately,  as  soon 
as  our  presence  was  discovered,  fear  spoiled  the  picture, 
for  the  nestling  crouched  a  moment  and  then  scampered 
back  into  the  dark  nesting  place.  As  the  nest  was  dis- 
covered on  a  one  day's  trip,  I  do  not  know  how  old 
the  nestlings  were  nor  how  much  longer  they  remained 
in  the  nest.  At  this  stage  they  were  fully  feathered, 
but  the  dots  were  much  less  distinct,  shading  into  the 
general  coloring.  Otherwise  they  were  like  the  adults. 
The  coloring  was  so  exactly  in  harmony  with  the  rocks 
in  which  the  nest  was  placed  that  the  young  birds  were 
practically  invisible  at  a  distance  of  ten  feet. 

719  a.    VIGORS    WREN.  —  Thryomanes  betvtcki  spilurus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Length:  5.00-5.50. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  dark  brown,  with  a  conspicuous  white  superciliary 

stripe  ;  middle  tail-feathers  more  grayish  brown  and  barred ;  outer 

feathers   blackish,   spotted   and   barred ;    under   parts  gray,    flanks 

brownish. 

Young :  Similar  to  adults. 
Geographical  Distribution  :  California  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  to  the 

coast. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Humid  coast  belt  from  Monterey  to  Men- 

docino  County,  including   San  Francisco  Bay  region. 
Breeding  Season :  May. 
Nest :  Placed  in  boxes,  holes,  fence  posts,   brush  heaps,   stumps,  etc.  ; 

made  largely  of  sticks  and  grasses  ;  lined  with  feathers. 
Eggs :  5  to  7  ;  white,  finely  speckled  with  reddish  brown  and  lilac.     Size 

0.64  X  0.50. 

THE  Vigors  Wren  is  a  subspecies  of  the  Bewick  wren  of 
the  Central  United  States,  and  combines  the  characters- 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  285 

tics  of  this  species  with  those  of  the  Pacific  house  wren. 
In  the  neighborhood  of  towns  this  bird  prefers  to  nest 
about  houses,  choosing  all  sorts  of  queer  places  in  which 
to  rear  its  brood ;  but  throughout  Western  California,  in 
open  districts  as  far  south  as  Pasadena  (although  there 
Mr.  Grinnell  calls  it  the  San  Joaquin  Wren),  it  is  found 
building  among  brush  heaps  and  in  hollow  trees.  For 
breeding  habits  see  Parkman  Wren,  also  called  Pacific 
House  Wren. 

721  a.    PARKMAN   WREN,   OR   PACIFIC   HOUSE 

WREN.  —  Troglodytes  aedon  parkmani. 

FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Length:  4.25-5.20. 

Upper  parts  grayish  brown  barred  with  blackish,  except  head ;  tail 
barred  with  black  and"  pale  ashy ;  under  parts  indistinctly  barred 
with  ashy  and  brownish. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Pacific  Coast  from  British  Columbia  south  to 
California. 

California  Breeding  Range :  West  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  nearly  through- 
out the  State. 

Breeding  Season :  May. 

Nest :  In  cavities  in  trees,  or  about  buildings  ;  of  twigs  ;  lined  with  mass 
of  feathers. 

Eggs :  5  to  7  ;  flesh-color,  thickly  speckled  with  pale  brownish  purple  and 
rusty. 

THE  Parkman  Wren  is  the  house  wren  of  the  Pacific 
Coast  and  is  a  common  summer  visitant  west  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada.  His  gay  canary-like  song  rings  from  barn, 
house,  or  cabin,  wherever  there  is  a  crevice  for  him  to 
nest  in.  From  morning  until  night  the  bubbling  notes 
"  tumble  over  each  other,  they  are  poured  out  so  fast," 
and  you  wonder  when  he  takes  any  breath,  yet  he  is  as 


286  LAND   BIRDS 

full  of  enthusiasm  at  the  day's  close  as  he  was  at  its  be- 
ginning. He  is  very  friendly  and  sociable,  allowing  you 
to  watch  him,  and  watching  you  with  equal  interest. 

When  nest-building  commences  it  absorbs  the  atten- 
tion of  both  sexes,  though  the  master  of  the  household 
still  sings  between  loads.  Such  a  mass  of  material  they 
manage  to  gather !  Shreds  of  bark,  twigs,  feathers 
galore,  straw,  and  often  bits  of  plant-down,  such  as  cotton. 
The  cavity  is  stuffed  to  its  fullest  capacity,  and  in  the  top 
of  the  mass  madam  shapes  a  shallow  cup  to  hold  the 
eggs.  But  these  Wrens  are  capricious  folk,  and  after  the 
nest  is  all  ready  they  will  often  take  a  vacation  and  pay 
no  further  attention  to  it  for  several  days,  or  even  a  week. 
Then,  one  day,  you  may  see  the  female  slipping  slyly  into 
the  nest  hole  while  her  mate  sings  louder  than  ever  near 
by,  and  you  conclude  rightly  that  the  first  egg  has  been 
laid.  She  may  lay  another  the  next  day  or  she  may  wait 
a  day  or  two,  but  as  soon  as  there  are  five  or  six,  she  will 
commence  to  brood.  Fourteen  days  are  necessary  for 
the  incubation  of  those  small  eggs,  and,  at  the  end  of  that 
time,  a  peep  into  the  nest  will  reveal  tiny,  naked  nest- 
lings, a  trifle  less  than  one  inch  long,  with  knobs  for  eyes 
and  little  more  than  mere  slits  for  beaks.  Their  wing- 
bones  are  about  one-sixth  of  an  inch  in  length,  and  their 
legs  are  not  much  longer.  But  they  double  their  weight 
every  twenty-four  hours,  and  at  the  end  of  four  days  they 
have  down  on  heads  and  along  the  feather  tracts,  and 
look  much  more  like  birds.  The  beak  also  has  taken 
shape  and  is  more  or  less  firmly  cartilaginous.  On  the  fifth 
day  the  eyes  open.  Up  to  this  time  they  have  been  fed 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  287 

by  regurgitation  (see  Foreword)  at  intervals  averaging 
every  half-hour  throughout  the  day,  the  periods  being 
longer  from  8  to  10  A.M.  and  12  to  3  P.M.,  but  now 
fresh  food  is  given  them.  The  young  Wrens  feather  more 
slowly  than  some  young  birds,  and  usually  remain  in  the 
nest  until  sixteen  days  old ;  one  brood  could  neither  be 
coaxed  nor  starved  into  flying  until  the  twenty-first  day. 
The  location  of  the  nest  seems  to  affect  the  time  of  their 
departure,  and,  in  cases  where  it  is  high  up,  with  no  near 
perch,  the  little  ones  seem  to  be  afraid  to  venture.  For 
some  time  after  leaving  home  they  are  fed  by  both  adults, 
and  sometimes  return  to  the  nest  at  night  either  alone 
or  with  the  mother  bird. 


722  a.  WESTERN    WINTER   WREN.  —  Nanmu 
hiemalis  paci/i'cus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Length:  3.60-4.25. 

Adults:  Tail  very  short  ;  upper  parts  dark  cinnamon-brown,  brightest 
'  on  rump  ;  wings,  tail,  and  sometimes  back  finely  barred  with  black  ; 
line  over  eye,  throat,  and  breast  rust  color  ;  rest  of  under  parts  darker 
and  barred  with  dark. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  from  Alaska  to  Southern  Califor- 
nia ;  south  in  winter  to  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range:  In  the  humid  coast  belt  (Transition),  south 
to  Point  Sur. 

Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 

Nest:  In  crevices  of  stumps  or  logs  ;  a  mass  of  moss,  with  hollow  lined 
with  feathers. 

Eggs:  5  to  7  ;  cream-white,  thinly  speckled  with  rusty.  Size  0.60  X 
0.48. 

J.  N.  BOWLES  says  of  this  bird :  "  The  stillness  was 
suddenly  broken  by  the  beautiful  bell-like  warble  of  the 


288  LAND   BIRDS 

Western  Winter  Wren,  and  I  knew  that  within  half  a 
mile  must  be  his  nest.  I  walked  to  the  edge  of  the 
brook,  and  after  travelling  a  short  distance  along  it,  the 
way  was  blocked  by  a  giant  fir  that,  in  falling  years 
before,  had  split  in  the  middle.  From  deep  in  this 
split  appeared  suspicious  looking  twigs,  but  past  expe- 
rience had  taught  me  not  to  expect  the  real  nest 
within  a  hundred  yards  of  a  singing  Winter  Wren.  Nor 
was  I  mistaken,  for  it  proved  to  be  nothing  more  than  a 
well-built  decoy,  about  which  the  bird  had  made  a  very 
natural  'bluff'  of  anxiety.  ...  I  continued  up  the 
brook,  finding  two  more  decoy  nests  of  the  Wrens  in  the 
roots  of  fallen  trees.  ...  A  half-uprooted  fir  tree,  some 
two  hundred  yards  from  where  the  Wren  was  heard 
singing,  gave  me  a  thrill  of  interest.  The  opening  under 
the  roots  extended  in  about  ten  feet,  and  was  only  three 
feet  high  at  the  entrance,  so  there  was  nothing  for 
it  but  to  imitate  the  serpent.  The  Wren  had  left  me 
long  since,  and  nothing  stirred  when  I  shook  the  roots, 
therefore  my  hopes  were  high,  as  these  Wrens  are  never 
seen  near  their  eggs.  After  crawling  in  as  far  as  pos- 
sible, I  turned  over  on  my  back  and  waited  for  my  eyes 
to  become  accustomed  to  the  darkness.  As  things 
gradually  took  shape,  almost  the  first  thing  I  saw  was 
the  much-hoped-for  nest,  all  of  twigs  and  green  moss, 
directly  over  my  head.  It  was  wedged  in  among  the 
earth  and  roots,  and  a  feather  protruding  from  the 
entrance  told  rne  that  my  search  had  revealed  a  satis- 
factory end  —  the  decoy  nests  are  never  lined.  The  set 
consisted  of  six  partially  incubated  eggs,  and  only  one 


725a.     T0LE  WREN 
Tclmatodytes  palustris  paludicola 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING  289 

more  decoy  was  found  a  short  distance  further  on  in  a 
long-deserted  placer  mine." 

Unfortunately  Mr.  Bowles's  excellent  description  —  a 
part  of  which  I  have  quoted  here  from  "The  Condor," 
Vol.  III.  No.  1 — does  not  record  the  rearing  of  the 
brood  or  the  manner  of  feeding  the  young,  and  these  I 
supply  from  my  own  notebook. 

One  particular  pair  which  my  notes  record  nested  in 
the  crevice  of  an  old  stump,  which,  when  the  young 
were  five  days  old,  I  broke  open  slightly  to  obtain  a 
better  view.  This  did  not  in  the  least  deter  the  daunt- 
less parents  from  caring  for  the  nestlings,  though  it 
doubtless  caused  them  much  anxiety.  The  young  of 
this  Wren  resemble  the  young  of  tule  wrens  when  first 
hatched,  and  are  rather  slow  in  feathering.  They  are 
fed  by  regurgitation  for  several  days  after  hatching,  the 
menu  being  chiefly  small  grubs  which  the  busy  little 
parents  pick  out  of  the  bark  of  the  coniferous  trees. 
They  are  fed  on  insects  and  worms  also.  After  the 
sixth  day  the  food  is  mostly  given  in  the  fresh  condition. 
The  Wren  nestlings  leave  the  nest  between  the  seven- 
teenth and  twenty-first  days. 

725  a.  TULE   WREN.  —  Telmatodytes  palustris  paludicola. 
FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Length:  4.50-5.75. 

Top  of  head  black  ;  crown  brown  ;  middle  of  back  with  triangular 

black  patch,  streaked  with  white  ;  rest  of  upper  parts  buffy  brown  ; 

tail-coverts  and  middle-tail  feathers  barred  with  black  ;  under  parts 

buffy  white,  browner  on  sides. 
Geographical    Distribution:    Pacific    coast   from    British  Columbia    to 

Mexico. 


290  LAND   BIRDS 

California  Breeding  Range:  West  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  in  suitable 

localities. 

Breeding  Season :  June  and  July. 
Nest:  Large  oval  ball,  attached  to  tule  stems  ;  composed  of  wet  tules, 

marsh  grass,  and  pond  weed  matted  together  ;  lined  with  tule  pith  and 

dry  algae.     Entrance  at  one  side. 
Eggs:  3  to  5  ;  pinkish  brown,  clouded  with  darker. 

To  know  the  Tule  Wren  you  must  go  to  the  tall  reeds 
of  a  lowland  marsh  and  live  for  hours  each  day  with  him. 
He  will  protest  with  all  the  force  of  his  little  throat 
against  your  intrusion  and  will  call  all  his  neighbors  to 
the  scene.  Clinging  to  the  slender  tule,  with  much  tail- 
bobbing  and  attitudinizing,  he  challenges  you  angrily  and, 
were  he  as  big  as  he  is  brave,  you  would  never  venture 
further.  His  nests  are  many,  all  dummy  save  one,  but 
you  will  not  be  able  to  guess  which  that  one  may  be.  I 
have  examined  thirty  in  one  day  and  found  but  one  occu- 
pied, and  that  was  the  oldest,  most  tumble-down  of  the 
lot.  With  undiminished  vigor  he  sings  and  works,  car- 
rying wet  marsh  vegetation  and  weaving  it  among  the 
rushes  into  a  ball  many  times  the  size  of  his  industrious 
little  self.  His  mate  is  already  brooding  in  one  of  those 
nests  which  he  made  last  year,  but  that  is  no  reason, 
according  to  his  way  of  thinking,  why  he  should  not 
keep  busy  making  more.  So,  resting  only  long  enough 
to  satisfy  his  hunger,  he  keeps  on  with  his  self-appointed 
task  from  morning  until  night,  singing  as  he  goes  the 
merriest,  maddest  medley  of  banjo-like  notes. 

Each  nest  is  lined  with  pith  of  the  tules,  which  is 
exactly  like  cat-tail  down  of  the  East,  but  the  one  con- 
taining the  purplish  brown  eggs  is  padded  very  carefully 
with  this  material.  These  nests  are  conspicuous  objects 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          291 

among  the  thin-stemmed  tule-rushes,  and  on  this  account 
are  much  more  easily  watched  than  are  the  nests  of  the 
long-billed  marsh  wrens,  which  live  in  heavier  marshes. 
It  is  steaming  hot  inside  the  thick-walled  ball,  and  the 
eggs  feel  like  little  hot  pebbles  to  your  fingers.  Twelve 
days  are  required  for  incubation,  and  even  during  this 
short  period  the  mother  is  not  a  close  sitter.  I  have 
known  her  to  leave  the  nest  for  two  hours  in  the  middle 
of  the  day,  trusting  to  the  intense  heat  of  the  sun  to  per- 
form her  task  for  her ;  and  but  for  the  thick,  moist  walls 
of  the  cradle,  this  same  sun  would  have  been  fatal  to  the 
bird  life  within  the  shells. 

As  soon  as  the  eggs  hatched  in  the  nest  I  was  watch- 
ing, I  cut  a  slit  in  the  top  of  it  to  look  at  the  young. 
They  were  naked,  light  pink  in  color,  with  tiny  heads, 
mere  knobs  for  eyes  and  buds  for  wings ;  each  nestling 
measured  one  inch  in  length.  After  this  examination  I 
tied  up  the  slit,  and  before  I  was  a  yard  away  the  mother 
entered  the  nest  again.  Four  days  later  the  eyes  of  the 
young  Wrens  had  begun  to  open,  and  looked  like  tiny 
slits,  while  a  thin  buffy  down  covered  the  top  of  their 
heads  and  was  scattered  sparsely  over  their  bodies.  As 
in  the  young  of  the  long-billed  marsh  wrens,  the  ear 
openings  were  conspicuously  large.  Bill  and  legs  had 
changed  from  pink  to  light  burnt-orange  in  color.  They 
were  fed  by  regurgitation  for  the  first  four  days  and 
doubled  in  weight  every  twenty-four  hours.  (See  Fore- 
word.) When  a  week  old  they  were  commencing  to 
feather,  and  in  three  days  more  were  nearly  ready  to  leave 
the  nest.  They  were  now  fed  on  larvae  of  water  insects, 


292  LAND  BIRDS 

slugs,  and  dragonflies,  besides  other  insects,  and  meals 
were  served  four  times  an  hour  during  most  of  the  day. 
When  the  young  Wrens  were  twelve  days  old,  my  at- 
tempt to  peep  into  the  nest  for  the  last  time  resulted  in 
a  sudden  discharge  of  all  its  contents,  one  by  one,  into 
the  green  rushes,  where  they  sat  breathless  clinging  to 
the  thin  stems  in  desperate  efforts  to  keep  right  side  up. 
They  were  entirely  feathered  and  able  to  pick  up  food 
for  themselves,  but  for  two  weeks  more  their  pretty  coax- 
ing chirps  induced  the  adult  Wrens  to  supply  them  with 
marsh  tidbits  even  more  frequently  than  before  they  left 
the  nest. 


725  c.  INTERIOR  TULE   WREN,    OR   WESTERN 

MARSH    WREN.  —  Telmatodytes  palnstris  plesius. 

FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Length:  About  4.50-5.75. 

Top  of  head  and  patch  dark  brown  ;  middle  of  crown  light  brown  ; 
upper  parts  buffy  brown  ;  tail  heavily  and  sharply  barred  with  dark  ; 
under  parts  pale  ashy  gray. 

Geographical  Distribution:    From  British  Columbia   south  to  Mexico, 
from  east  side  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  to  Rocky  Mountains. 

California  Breeding  Range:  East  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  at  various  lo- 
calities.    Mr.  Grinnell  mentions  Eagle  Lake. 

Nest  and  fJggs:  Like  those  of  tule  wren  (C.  p.  paludicola). 

THE  Western  Marsh  Wren  is  the  Western  representa- 
tive of  the  long-billed  marsh  wren  of  the  East,  and  is  iden- 
tical in  habits  with  that  bird.  (See  "  Nestlings  of  Forest 
and  Marsh.") 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          293 


726  c.    CALIFORNIAN   CREEPER.  —  Certhia familiaris 
occidentalis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Creepers. 

Length:  About  5.00  or  6.00. 

Upper  parts  bright  brown,  reddest  on  rump  ;  line  over  eye,  streaks 

on  head,  and  back  yellowish  brown. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  of  North  America  from  Alaska 

to  Santa  Cruz  mountains,  California. 
California  Breeding  Range:  Humid  coast  of  Transition  zone,  south  as  far 

as  Santa  Cruz  mountains. 
Preeding  Season:  May. 
Nest ;  Under  loosened  bark  of  redwood  or  cedar,  within  5  feet  of  ground  ; 

made   of  finely  shredded  cedar  bark  ;   lined  with  plant   down   or 

feathers. 

THE  California!!  Creeper  is  the  Western  representative 
of  the  brown  creeper.  It  is  so  like  the  sierra  creeper  in 
form  and  habits  that  no  separate  description  is  necessary. 
Its  shrill,  wiry  note  is  heard  in  the  redwoods  of  the  humid 
coast  district,  but  the  bird  itself  is  so  protectively  col- 
ored as  to  look  like  a  large  brown  bug  against  the  red- 
brown  trunks.  Only  a  few  nests  have  been  recorded  from 
the  Santa  Cruz  mountains,  but  the  Creeper  undoubtedly 
breeds  there  quite  commonly. 


726  d.    SIERRA   CREEPER.  —  Certhia  familiaris  zelotes. 
FAMILY  :  The  Creepers. 

Length:  About  5.00  or  6.00. 

Adults:    Upper  parts  dark  grayish  brown,  becoming  tawny  brown  on 

rump  ;  line  over  eye,  streaks  on  shoulders,  and  spot  on  wing  white  ; 

under  parts  white,  washed  with  brown  on  sides. 
Geographical    Distribution:    Cascade    Mountains   of   Oregon    and  the 

Sierra  Nevada,  west  to  valleys  in  winter. 


294  LAND  BIRDS 

Breeding  Range :  Transition  and  lower  Boreal  zones  along  whole  length 

of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season :  June. 
Nest :  Described  by  Mr.  Barlow  as  under  the  bark  of  dead  pines,  about 

20  feet  up  ;  made  of  cedar  bark  and  a  few  feathers. 
Eggs :    5 ;    white,  spotted    and  blotched  with  reddish  brown  and  pale 

lavender. 

THE  quaint  little  bird  called  the  Sierra  Creeper  is  a 
summer  resident  of  the  pine  forests,  and  so  perfectly 
does  his  striped  brown  back  blend  with  the  bark  that 
he  becomes  practically  invisible  the  moment  he  alights 
on  it.  His  habits  are  so  exactly  like  those  of  the  brown 
creeper  of  the  East  that  Mr.  Chapman's  delightful  de- 
scription of  that  bird  fits  him  perfectly.  He  says : 

"  The  facts  in  the  case  will  doubtless  show  that  the 
patient  plodding  brown  creeper  is  searching  for  the 
insects,  eggs,  and  larvae  which  are  hidden  in  crevices 
in  the  bark ;  but  after  watching  him  for  several  minutes 
one  becomes  impressed  with  the  thought  that  he  has 
lost  the  only  thing  in  the  world  he  cared  for,  and  that 
his  one  object  in  life  is  to  find  it.  Ignoring  you  com- 
pletely, with  scarcely  a  pause,  he  finds  his  way  in  a 
preoccupied,  near-sighted  manner  up  a  tree  trunk.  Hav- 
ing finally  reached  the  top  of  his  spiral  staircase,  one 
might  suppose  he  would  rest  long  enough  to  survey  his 
surroundings,  but  like  a  bit  of  loosened  bark  he  drops 
off  to  the  base  of  the  nearest  tree  and  resumes  his  never- 
ending  task.  He  has  no  time  to  waste  in  words,  but 
occasionally,  without  stopping  in  his  rounds,  he  utters  a 
few  sweeping  squeaky  notes,  which  are  about  as  likely 
to  attract  attention  as  he  is  himself.  As  for  song,  one 
would  say  it  was  quite  out  of  the  question ;  but  in  its 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING 


295 


summer  home  among  the  northern  spruces  and  firs  it 
has  an  exquisitely  pure,  tender  song  of  four  notes,  dy- 
ing away  in  an  indescribably  plaintive  cadence,  like 
the  soft  sigh  of  the  wind  among  the  pine  boughs.' 

At  all  times  an  unsocial  bird,  the  Creeper 
is  seldom,  even  at  nesting  time,  seen  in  com- 
pany with  another  of  his  kind  either  male  or 
female.  Apparently  too  busy  for  any  lover's 
nonsense,  he  yet  does  indulge  in  it  upon  oc- 
casion and,  like  all  drudges,  when  he  wishes 
to  be  sentimental  he  succeeds  only  in  being 
serio-comic.  With  utmost  gravity  he  offers 
his  sweetheart  a  fat  grub,  cocking  his  head 
sidewise  as  he  sees  it  disappear  down  her 
throat.  She  puts  up  her  bill  for  more, 
which  he  pretends  to  give,  necessarily  at 
long  range  on  account  of  the  slender  curve 
of  his  beak.  Then  he  goes  on  with 
his  task  of  hunting,  while  she  tags  close 
behind  teasing  for  more  after 
the  manner  of  a  hungry  nest- 
ling. This  does  not  last  long. 
The  business  of  house-build- 
ing begins.  His  little  home 
is  hidden  snugly  behind  the 
bark  of  a  dead  pine  tree  high 
up  from  the  ground,  but  higher 
still  from  the  same  tree  he  warbles  his  queer  little  love 
song,  when  the  glorious  dawn  of  a  June  morning  moves 
even  his  plodding  soul  to  music. 


SIERRA  CREEPER, 


"  He  offers  his  sweetheart  a  fat 
grub." 


296  LAND  BIRDS 

Only  nine  days  are  required  to  hatch  the  small  eggs, 
and  the  naked  nestlings  squirm  and  wriggle  like  so 
many  pink  mice  in  the  cosy  nest.  They  are  slow  in 
feathering,  not  being  fully  covered  until  fifteen  days  old, 
and  even  then  the  down  shows  through  the  feathers 
in  hair-like  patches.  According  to  the  best  of  my  ob- 
servations with  a  powerful  field  glass,  they  are  fed  by 
regurgitation  until  four  days  old.  After  that  a  visible 
supply  of  insect  food  is  given  them.  Their  first  journey 
from  home  is  a  creeping  about  on  the  bark  of  the  nest 
tree,  to  which  they  cling  desperately,  aided  by  their 
sharp  little  tails.  Instinctively  they  pick  at  every  crevice 
in  the  bark,  and  soon  become  so  business-like  about  it 
that  they  are  quite  independent  of  the  adults  and  of 
each  other. 

742.    PALLID   WREN-TIT.  —  Chamea  fasciata. 
FAMILY  :  The  Nuthatches  and  Tits. 

Length:  About  6.00-6.50. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  gray,  washed  with  olive  on  rump  and  tail;  tail 
'    long ;  under  parts  fawn-color,  indistinctly  streaked  with  dusky. 
Geographical  Distribution :  California,  from  Shasta  County  southward  to 

San  Diego. 
California  Breeding  Range:  Upper  Sonoran  zone,  west  of  the  Sierra 

Nevada,  except  humid  coast  belt,  from  San  Diego  northward  to  lower 

McCloud  River. 

Breeding  Season  :  April  and  May. 
Nest:  In  thickets  or  low  bushes  ;  compactly  made  of  twigs,  bark  strips, 

and  grasses  ;  lined  with  feathers  and  cow  hair. 
Eggs:  2  to  5  ;  uniform  turquoise  blue.     Size  0.73  X  0.56. 

SOME  California  birds,  such  as  the  phainopepla,  wren- 
tit,  and  others,  are  like  the  California  big  trees,  —  sui 


WITH   BROWN    PREDOMINATING          297 

generis.  There  is  nothing  like  them  east  of  the  one- 
hundredth  meridian  and  they  are  well  worth  a  long 
journey  to  study. 

The  Wren-tit  is  a  unique  combination,  as  his  name 
implies.  Exceedingly  difficult  to  watch,  he  slips  along 
the  ground  under  the  chaparral  and  through  fields  of 
dead  mustard  stalks,  eluding  observation  as  well  as 
pursuit  by  scooting  into  the  thickest  patches  of  weeds, 
until  the  patience  of  the  student  is  exhausted  and  he 
drops  down  to  rest  in  a  shady  corner.  This  is  really 
the  best  thing  to  do,  for  if  one  keeps  still  long  enough 
the  bird  is  sure  to  come  into  view,  and  often,  impelled 
by  curiosity,  will  approach  within  a  watchable  distance. 
With  tail  atilt  over  its  back,  like  a  wren,  it  sidles  up  the 
dry  stalks,  searching  diligently  for  insects,  but  with  one 
eye  on  its  visitor.  A  slight  movement  on  your  part 
will  send  it  diving  into  the  thick  tangle  out  of  sight 
again,  and  only  its  harsh,  scolding  notes  will  betray  its 
whereabouts.  Its  long  tail  is  the  Wren-tit's  most 
expressive  feature,  for  it  wags  up  and  down  in  excite- 
ment or  anger,  and  it  shakes  when  the  bird  sings,  as  if 
it  had  some  part  in  helping  on  the  music.  The  song 
is  described  as  a  "  clear  ringing  voice  running  down 
the  scale  slowly,  distinctly,  'keep,  keep,  keep,  keep-it, 
keep-it,'  ending  in  a  trill."  At  other  times  it  is  a 
slow,  monotonous  singing  note  like  "  pee-pee-pee-peep," 
and  again  a  varied  succession  of  whistles.  In  the  early 
spring  the  Wren-tits  wander  in  pairs,  keeping  up  a 
constant  call  and  answer,  somewhat  like  a  quick  "  pit- 
pit,  prrrrt." 


298  LAND   BIRDS 

Mrs.  Bailey  accuses  this  bird  of  breaking  up  the  nest 
of  a  pair  of  gnatcatchers  and  one  of  lazuli  buntings,  al- 
though both  parents  were  present.  It  is  probably  the 
habit  of  Wren-tits  to  steal  eggs  or  nestlings ;  for,  wherever 
found,  they  seem  to  be  a  terror  to  smaller  birds,  and 
their  approach  is  attended  with  as  much  consternation 
as  that  of  a  shrike. 


743  a.    CALIFORNIAN   BUSH-TIT.  —  Psaltnparus 
minimus  californicus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Nuthatches  and  Tits. 

Length:  4.00-4.50. 

Adults:  Top  of  head  light  brown;  upper  parts  ashy  gray  ;  under  parts 

dull  brownish  gray. 

Geographical  Distribution :  California,  except  northern  coast  district. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Oak  regions  below  Boreal  zone,  west  of  the 

Sierra  Nevada. 

Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 
Nest:  Bulky;  pensile;  gourd-shaped;  entrance  a  small  hole  near  the 

top  ;  made  of  moss,  fibre,   plant  down,  oak  blossoms,  and  lichens ; 

lined  with  feathers. 
Eggs:  5  to  9  ;  plain  white.     Size  0.34  X  0.42. 

THROUGHOUT  California  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada, 
the  tiny  gray  birds  known  as  Bush-tits  are  numerous, 
though  so  small  are  they  and  so  protectively  colored, 
one  may  easily  overlook  them.  At  Elysian  Park,  Los 
Angeles,  they  build  each  year  in  the  circle  of  evergreens 
near  the  pool,  and  usually  there  are  several  nests  in  the 
live-oak  at  the  foot  of  the  slope  near  by.  One  busy 
pair  were  finishing  their  nest  when  I  discovered  them, 
May  2.  They  were  belated,  for  in  the  next  tree  swung 


743a.     CALIFORNIA*  BUSH-TIT 
PtaMriparui  minimus  californicut 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          299 

another  gray  pocket  containing  young  nearly  ready  to 
fly.  The  pair  which  were  building  worked  together, 
bringing  moss,  tiny  leaves,  lichens,  and  bits  of  paper, 
which  they  tucked  dexterously  into  the  outer  walls.  At 
first  one  could  see  through  the  structure,  so  loosely  was 
it  woven,  but  little  by  little  the  weaving  and  lining  filled 
the  interstices  until  it  was  of  the  proper  solidity  and 
thickness.  Then  began  the  carrying  of  feathers  to  the 
pretty  cradle,  and  for  a  whole  day  one  or  the  other  of 
the  wee  builders,  neither  one  of  which  was  larger  than  a 
man's  thumb,  brought  feathers.  Often,  with  his  bill  so 
full  of  these  that  the  bird  was  very  little  larger  than  his 
load,  the  tiny  male  would  dart  in  through  the  little  round 
doorway,  followed  closely  by  the  female  with  her  portion ; 
and  both  would  fly  out  again  almost  instantly.  Usually, 
however,  only  one  feather  at  a  time  was  carried.  The 
nearest  chicken  yard  was  at  least  one  hundred  yards  dis- 
tant, and  from  the  frequency  of  the  trips  to  the  nest  and 
the  distance  the  feathers  were  brought,  the  birds  must 
have  been  constantly  on  the  wing. 

When  all  was  finished  to  their  satisfaction,  the  female 
disappeared  into  the  depths  of  the  swinging  cradle  and 
was  seen  by  me  no  more  for  twelve  days.  Her  mate 
brought  her  food  at  short  intervals  during  the  warm 
hours  of  the  day,  always  alighting  near  and  calling 
before  he  ventured  to  the  nest.  He  never  went  inside 
while  I  was  watching,  but  leaned  down  to  her  until 
only  the  tip  of  his  tail  could  be  seen  in  the  doorway. 
On  the  fourteenth  day  after  incubation  had  begun,  a  slit 


300  LAND  BIRDS 

was  carefully  cut  in  one  side  of  the  nest  and  a  cautious 
peep  taken.  A  wriggling  mass  of  pinkish  heads,  wings, 
and  legs  lay  cuddled  in  the  downiest  of  feather  beds. 
They  seemed  even  smaller  than  the  young  humming- 
birds, and  were  certainly  less  than  an  inch  long.  Each 
little  head  was  triangular  in  shape,  with  a  mere  yellow 
ridge  at  the  point  for  a  bill,  and  skin-covered  knobs  for 
eyes.  The  slit  in  the  nest  we  carefully  sewed  shut 
again.  Before  we  had  gone  three  yards  the  parents 
were  there,  and  the  male  had  gone  inside  to  the  nest- 
lings. A  careful  watch  proved  that  for  the  first  four 
days  neither  of  the  parents  brought  visible  food  in  the 
bill,  and  it  is  fair  to  record  them  as  feeding  by  regurgita- 
tion  for  that  length  of  time  at  least.  (See  Foreword.) 

On  the  sixth  day  the  young  Bush-tits  were  covered 
with  a  hairlike  grayish  white  down,  and  had  quadrupled 
in  size.  This  was  the  last  observation  of  that  family 
I  was  able  to  make.  Meanwhile  several  other  broods  of 
Bush-tits  had  flown  and  were  being  cared  for  in  the 
neighboring  shrubbery  by  the  adults,  although  seem- 
ing well  able  to  feed  themselves.  An  old  nest  that 
I  secured  measured  ten  inches  in  length,  four  and  a 
half  in  diameter  at  the  bottom,  and  the  doorway  was 
just  the  size  of  a  dime;  a  nickle  was  too  large  to  pass 
through  it. 

The  call-note  of  the  Bush-tit  is  commonly  described  as 
"scritt,  scritt,"  very  weak  and  thin.  Aside  from  this, 
the  male  gives  voice  to  a  conversational  warble,  quite 
in  keeping  with  the  diminutive  size  of  the  bird.  This 


WITH  BROWN   PREDOMINATING  301 

species,  like  the  other  Bush-tits  found  in  California,  are 
of  untold  benefit  in  destroying  eggs,  grubs,  and  adult 
insects  injurious  to  the  trees,  especially  black  scales  and 
caterpillars. 


741.  CHESTNUT-BACKED   CHICKADEE.  —  Penlhestes 
rufescens. 

FAMILY  :  The  Nuthatches  and  Tits. 

Length:  4.50-5.00. 

Adults :  Throat  blackish  brown  ;  crown  and  nape  clear  brown  ;  sides  of 

head  white  ;  line  over  eye  black  j  back  reddish  brown  ;  under  parts 

white ;  sides  chestnut. 

Young:  Crown,  nape,  and  throat  dark  brown  ;  back  olive-brown. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Alaska  to  California  ( Mt.  Shasta). 
California  breeding  Range :  Northern  humid  coast  belt  in  Del  Norte, 

Humboldt,  and  Mendocino  counties. 
Breeding  Season :  April. 
Nest:  12  to  40  feet  from  ground,  in  dead  trees,  either  in  natural  cavities 

or  old  woodpeckers'  holes  ;  materials  cattle  hair,  fur,  wool,  feathers,  or 

moss. 
Eggs :  5  to  7 ;  white,  sometimes  finely  speckled  with  rusty  brown.    Size 

0.64  X  0.47. 

IN  the  northern  humid  coast  belt  along  the  most 
northern  edge  of  California  the  Chestnut-backed  Chicka- 
dee is  a  common  resident.  He  keeps  to  the  more  open 
woods  along  the  roadways,  and  is  even  more  fearless 
than  the  common  chickadee  of  the  Eastern  States. 
Hanging  head  downward  over  a  slender  twig,  searching 
for  bugs  under  the  young  leaves,  swinging  in  happy- 
go-lucky  fashion  from  the  tip  of  a  branch,  scampering  in 
flocks  through  the  tall  trees,  he  is  a  most  fascinating 


302  LAND   BIRDS 

little  chap.  His  nestlings  are  handsome  fluffy  counter- 
parts of  their  parents,  and  present  an  appealing  picture 
of  innocence  as  they  sit  on  a  concealed  perch  waiting 
to  be  fed. 

After  the  breeding  season  these  birds  unite  in  flocks, 
often  in  company  with  the  golden-crowned  kinglets  and 
Oregon  chickadees. 


742  a.    COAST   WREN-TIT.  —  Chamea  fasciata  phcea. 
FAMILY  :  The  Nuthatches  and  Tits. 

Length:  Wing  2.37,  tail  3.41,  bill  0.42. 

Upper  parts  sooty  brown,  darkest  on  head;  under  parts  chestnut 

streaked  with  dusky.     Eye  pale  yellow. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Humid  coast  region  of  Oregon  and  California. 
California  Breeding  Range:  Transition  zone  of  the  coast  region  from 

Carmel  River,  Monterey  County,  northward  through  the  State,  east 

through  the  San  Francisco  Bay  region. 

LIKE  the  pallid  wren-tit,  this  species  belongs  exclu- 
sively to  the  Pacific  slope  and  is  a  characteristic  bird 
of  California.  It  is  a  common  resident  of  the  humid 
coast  belt,  and  its  clear  ringing  song  is  one  of  the  usual 
sounds  in  a  quiet  tramp  along  the  San  Francisco  Bay 
meadows.  That  it  is  much  more  frequently  heard  than 
seen  is  due  to  the  shy  dodging  and  persistent  hiding 
among  the  low  bushes. 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          303 

754.  TOWNSEND  SOLITAIRE.  —  Myadestes  tonmsendi. 
FAMILY  :  The  Thrushes,  Solitaires,  Bluebirds,  etc. 

Length:  7.80-9.50. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  brownish  gray,  under  parts  lighter  ;  two  white  bars 

on  wing  ;  tail-feathers  edged  with  white  on  outer  web  and  across  end  ; 

bill  short,  flattened  at  base  ;  legs  weak. 
Young :  Plumage,  except  wings  and  tail,  spotted  with  buff;  wings  and 

tail  brownish  gray,  marked  like  those  of  the  adults. 
Geographical  Distribution  :  From  British  Columbia  to  Mexico  and  from 

the  Black  Hills  to  the  Paciflc,  chiefly  along  highest  altitudes.    South 

in  winter  to  Southern  United  States. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Local  in  the  high  Sierra  Nevada  from  Mt. 

Shasta  to  San  Bernardino  mountains. 
Breeding  Season :  June. 
Nest:  Bulky  ;  of  twigs,  pine  needles,  and  grass  or  moss  ;  on  the  ground, 

under  roots  of  overturned  trees,  in  crevices,  in  banks,  or  among  rocks 

near  water. 
Eggs:  3  to  6  ;  pale  ashy  or  whitish,  spotted  with  rusty.     Size  0.93  X 

0.67. 

AMONG  all  the  forest  singers  of  California,  the  Town- 
send  Solitaire  is  without  a  rival ;  and  were  he  as  easily 
heard  as  is  the  mockingbird  or  the  thrush,  he,  and  not 
they,  would  be  the  theme  of  the  poet's  verse.  Only  in 
the  majestic  solitude  of  rugged  mountains,  when  all  the 
world  is  silent,  will  he  pour  out  his  soul  in  music ;  and 
to  hear  him  at  his  best' requires  hard  climbing  and  long, 
patient  waiting.  In  the  highest  Sierra  Nevada  his  song 
rings  clear  morning  and  evening ;  and  on  a  tall,  dead 
tree,  sharply  outlined  against  the  sky,  you  may  discover 
the  happy  singer.  As  you  watch,  suddenly,  without 
pausing  in  his  burst  of  melody,  he  flies  outward  and  up- 
ward, higher,  higher,  singing  as  he  goes,  until  the  silver 
notes  fall  like  a  shower  of  music  which  the  listening 


304 


LAND   BIRDS 


earth  drinks  eagerly.  His  song  ended,  he  floats  down 
again,  alighting  with  the  easy  grace  of  a  mocker,  and  is 
at  rest  all  but  his  quivering  wings.  He  seems  to  squat 
rather  than  perch  and  is  happiest  when  flying. 

It  was  rare  good  luck  that  showed  me  the  only  Soli- 
taire's nest  I  ever  found.     A  rolling  stone  and  a  mis- 
step landed  me  flat  on  my  back  directly 
in  front  of  it  and  within  a  foot  of  the 
water's  edge.     At  first  I  did  not  realize 
my  good  fortune,  because  I 
did  not  recognize  the  nest 
or    the   young.     It   was   a 
bulky  affair,  under  a  huge 
boulder  which  lay  in  such  a 
position  that  only  two  inches 
intervened  between  the  earth 
and  the  overhanging  stone  ; 
and  in  this  low-roofed  crev- 
ice the  Solitaire  had  gath- 
ered more  than  a  quart  of 
grass,  weed  stems,  shredded 
bark,  pine  needles,  rootlets, 
and    dead    leaves.       These 

seemed  to  lie  in  a  thick  mat  as  if  driven  there  by  the 
wind,  and,  but  for  the  hasty  exit  of  a  bird,  I  should 
never  have  looked  at  them. 

Examination  revealed  a  foundation  of  larger  weed 
stems  and  a  neatly  moulded  inner  nest.  In  it  were  five 
feathered  nestlings.  They  were  much  browner  in  tone 
than  the  adults  and  were  beautifully  mottled  on  the 


754.    TOWNSEND 
SOLITAIRE. 

"  Remained  there  singing 
when  the  shadows  of  evening 
closed  over  the  scene." 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING  305 

breast  with  light  brown.  At  first  they  crouched  fur  back 
in  terror,  but  when  I  put  in  my  hand  to  pick  up  one  the 
others  popped  out  faster  than  I  could  catch  them.  This 
unexpected  d^but  startled  me  and  called  the  adult  male, 
who  had  evidently  lingered  in  the  neighborhood.  He 
was  naturally  much  distressed  and,  without  coming 
nearer  than  fifty  feet,  lit  on  a  conspicuous  perch  with 
many  restless  turnings  and  fluttering^.  Finding  that  this 
did  not  win  me  from  my  unfortunate  proximity  to  his 
brood,  he  slipped  out  of  sight  and  began  calling  to  the 
young  in  a  loud,  liquid  note  more  imperative  than  plain- 
tive. I  sat  immovable  as  the  rock  behind  me,  and  in 
half  an  hour  was  rewarded  by  seeing  both  Solitaires 
come  near  enough  to  be  recognized  without  a  glass  and 
feed  a  nestling  who  was  crouching  in  a  heap  of  stones, 
thirty  feet  from  the  nest  site.  As  the  parents  were  so 
much  alike  in  form  and  color,  I  could  not  tell  which  one 
came  to  him.  The  other  disappeared  behind  the  stones 
and  probably  found  the  rest  of  the  young  to  care  for. 
So  long  as  I  sat  there  neither  of  the  adults  came  into 
sight  again ;  and,  putting  back  into  the  nest  the  young 
Solitaire  I  had  caught,  I  withdrew  to  a  distance  and  hid. 
More  than  two  hours  elapsed  before  either  adult  returned 
to  the  locality,  and  then  the  female  was  seen  slipping 
silently  to  the  nest.  Her  mate  took  up  his  guard  on  a 
high  bare  tree  and  after  a  time  tried  to  sing,  but  the 
song  lacked  the  joyous  spontaneity  of  his  usual  outburst 
and,  cutting  it  short,  he  flew  down  near  the  old  nesting 
site.  In  a  few  moments  he  reappeared  on  the  bare  tree 
and  remained  there  singing  when  the  shadows  of  evening 
20 


306  LAND  BIRDS 

closed  over  the  scene,  but  the  next  morning  the  entire 
family  of  Solitaires  had  vanished  utterly  from  the  vicin- 
ity, so  far  as  any  trace  of  them  could  be  found. 


758.    RUSSET-BACKED    THRUSH.  —  Hylocichla  ustulata. 
FAMILY  :  The  Thrushes,  Solitaires,  Bluebirds.,  etc. 

Length:  6.70-7.50. 

Adults  :  Upper  parts  olive-brown,  brownest  on  tail ;  conspicuous  light 

yellow  eye-ring  ;  sides  of  head  washed  with  reddish  brown ;  chest  pale 

buff,  with  wedge-shaped  spots  of  dark  brown  ;  belly  white,  washed 

with  olive  on  sides. 
Geographical  Distribution :    Pacific  coast  from  California  north  through 

British  Columbia ;  south  in  winter  to  Lower  California,  Mexico,  and 

Guatemala. 
Breeding  Range :  From  Northern  California  to  Alaska,  chiefly  in  Boreal 

zone. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 
Nest:  Compact  and  bulky;  of  plant  fibre,   shreds  of  bark,  and  moss; 

placed  in  saplings  or  bushes. 
Eggs:  4  or  5  ;  pale  turquoise  blue.     Size  0.94  X  0.65. 

THE  Russet-backed  Thrush  is  a  common  species  along 
the  Pacific  coast  from  latitude  37°  northward,  remaining 
through  the  summer  in  the  foot-hills  and  lower  moun- 
tains, and  occurring  southward  during  migration.  It  is 
a  lover  of  dense  thickets,  retiring  and  unsociable,  protest- 
ing against  intrusion  with  a  sharp  "chuck,  chuck,"  and 
dodging  into  impenetrable  tangles  when  aware  that  it  is 
discovered.  Only  at  twilight  and  in  the  earliest  dawn 
may  one  hear  the  rich  sweet  song  of  this  shy  singer.  As 
the  first  full  notes  float  out  from  the  quiet  woodland,  the 
bird-lover  knows  that  a  thrush  and  no  other  is  the  song- 
ster. The  music  is  less  spirituelle  in  quality  than  the 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING  307 


song  of  the  wood   thrush,  but   instantly  suggests   the 

latter.     A  nest  of  the  Russet-backed  that  was  built  in  a 

roadside   thicket    between   San   Jose" 

and    Alum    Rock    Canon    contained, 

May  20,  three  young  Thrushes   evi- 

dently about  a  week  old. 

They  were  sparsely  covered 

with  brownish  gray  down, 

and  pinfeathers  were  just 

showing  along  the  feather 

tracts.     Both  parents  dis- 

appeared, and  did  not  come 

back  so   long   as   we   re- 

mained   in     the    vicinity. 

Fearing  lest  any  attempt 

to  study  the  development 

of  the  brood  at  close  range 

would  result  in  their  being  deserted  by  the  parents,  we 

allowed  the  opportunity  to  pass  by  and   did  not  visit 

them  again. 


758.   RUSSET-BACKED  THRUSH. 


singer" 


*59  e.  SIERRA  HERMIT  THRUSH.  —  Hylocichla  guttata 
sequoiensis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Thrushes,  Solitaires,  Bluebirds,  etc. 

Length:  7.50-8.25. 

Adulte :  Upper  parts  light  brownish  gray ;  tail  rufous  ;  chest  thickly 

marked  with  broad,  wedge-shaped  spots. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Cascade  and  Sierra  Nevada  Ranges,  north  to 

the  Yukon  valley  ;  in  migration  east  to  Wyoming  and  Texas,  and 

south  into  Mexico. 


308  LAND  BIRDS 

California  Breeding  Range :  Breeds  sparingly  and  locally  in  the  Boreal 
zone  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  from  Mt.  Shasta  south  to  Owen's  Lake. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  Composed  of  twigs,  straws,  rootlets,  coarse  grass,  and  moss ; 
placed  in  bushes. 

Eggs:  Usually  4  ;  greenish  blue.     Size  0.86  X  0.64. 

OF  the  Sierra  Hermit  Thrush,  Mr.  Lyman  Belding, 
who  first  discovered  the  subspecies  and  named  it,  writes : 
"  It  is  the  finest  song  bird  of  the  Pacific  Coast,  breed- 
ing in  many  localities  in  the  sierras  on  both  slopes, 
usually  choosing  damp,  densely  wooded  localities  for  a 
summer  home.  It  begins  to  sing  about  the  middle  of 
May  at  5,000  feet  altitude,  below  which  it  is  seldom 
found  in  summer,  and  sings  until  about  the  first  of  Sep- 
tember, when  it  leaves  for  warmer  regions.  Altogether 
I  have  found  seven  nests  of  this  bird  ;  all  of  them  were 
within  a  few  feet  of  paths.  They  were  mostly  well 
concealed,  but  one  was  the  reverse,  having  been  saddled 
on  a  fallen,  dead,  barkless  fir  sapling,  with  nothing  to 
hide  it  except  a  few  dead  and  leafless  twigs.  This  nest 
contained  four  young,  which  were  quite  fit  to  leave  the 
nest  about  the  middle  of  June.  Three  of  the  nests  were 
in  yew  trees,  one  was  in  a  hazel  bush,  and  two  were  in 
deer  brush.  The  highest  was  about  ten  feet  from  the 
ground  and  the  lowest  about  three  feet.  There  was 
more  or  less  moss  used  in  all,  though  the  materials 
used  in  them  varied  considerably." 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING          309 


759  c.  DWARF  HERMIT  THRUSH.  —  Hylocichla  guttata 


FAMILY  :  The  Thrushes,  Solitaires,,  Bluebirds,,  etc. 

Length:  6.00-7.00. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  rich  olive-brown,  brownest  on  crown  and  rump, 
dullest  on  tail ;  under  parts  buffy,  spotted  on  chest  with  wedge-shaped 
marks  of  brown. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Pacific  slope,  north  to  British  Columbia, 
south  to  California. 

Breeding  Range :  Breeds  on  the  Queen  Charlotte  Islands,  British  Col- 
umbia, and  southern  Alaska. 

Breeding  Season :  June. 

Nest :  In  a  bush,  near  the  ground. 

Eggs:  Lighter  than  a  robin's,  and  unmarked.  Size  0.83  X  0.63. 
(Young  Ornithologist,  Vol.  I.  p.  149.) 

THIS  is  an  abundant  winter  visitant  to  California,  oc- 
curring in  almost  all  localities  west  of  the  Sierra  Ne- 
vada, but  there  is  only  one  record  of  its  nest  being  found 
within  the  State.  Mr.  C.  N.  Comstock,  of  Oakland,  took 
a  nest  of  this  species  containing  two  eggs,  in  June,  1883, 
at  the  Calaveras  Big  Trees. 

761  a.  WESTERN    ROBIN.  —  Planesticus  migralorius 
propinquus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Thrushes,  Solitaires,  Bluebirds,  etc. 

Length:  10.00-11.00. 

Adults :  Head,  wings,  and  tail  brownish  black  ;  back  brownish  gray  ; 
throat  streaked  black  and  white  ;  breast  and  belly  bright  red-brown  ; 
under  tail-coverts  white. 

Young:  Under  parts  yellowish,  spotted  with  brown  ;  upper  parts  gray- 
ish brown,  streaked  with  light. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  United  States  from  Kocky  Moun- 
tains to  Pacific. 

California  Breeding  Range:  Along  the  higher  Sierra  Nevada  south  as 
far  as  the  San  Bernardino  mountains. 


310  LAND   BIRDS 

Breeding  Season :  May  to  August. 

Nest:  In  low  trees  and  bushes,  sometimes  near  or  on  the  ground  ;  made 

of  grasses,  moss,  and  rootlets  ;   plastered  with  mud,  and   lined  with 

fine  grass. 
Eggs :  4  ;  turquoise  blue. 

THE  Western  Robin,  although  like  his  Eastern  repre- 
sentative in  coloring,  is  quite  unlike  him  in  habits. 
Instead  of  building  his  nest  near  the  homes  of  men,  he 
goes  up  into  the  lonely  Sierra  Nevada  forests ;  there  I 
have  found  it  containing  two  blue  eggs,  when  snow  four 
feet  deep  lay  a  hundred  yards  away. 

All  through  the  spring  and  summer  he  remains  in  the 
high  altitudes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  breeding  along  the 
crest  of  this  range  as  far  south  as  the  San  Bernardino 
mountains,  but  with  the  cold  days  of  the  fall  he  starts 
on  his  vertical  migration  to  the  lowlands.  In  the  win- 
ter this  species  occurs  nearly  throughout  the  State  ;  but, 
as  all  birds  sing  best  at  the  mating  season,  he  is  almost 
silent  when  in  the  valleys,  and  seems  quite  a  different 
bird  from  the  cheery  "  Robin  Redbreast "  who  picks  up 
crumbs  in  our  dooryards. 

The  nests  also  of  the  Western  Robins  that  I  have 
found  have  been  somewhat  different  from  those  of  the 
Eastern  bird  and  very  much  prettier,  being  decorated 
with  moss  woven  in  the  mud  instead  of  straw,  and  care- 
fully lined  with  moss.  It  is  really  a  beautiful  structure, 
with  the  mud  practically  concealed  from  view.  The 
eggs  of  the  two  species  are  alike,  and  the  newly  hatched 
young  are  the  same  naked,  wriggling,  skinny  nestlings 
in  both  cases.  In  both  cases,  also,  I  affirm  that  they  are 
fed  by  regurgitation  for  the  first  four  days,  the  adult 


WITH   BROWN   PREDOMINATING  311 

swallowing  the  food  before  he  gives  it  to  the  young. 
By  the  fifth  day  earthworms  are  giveu  the  nestlings 
after  being  broken  into  small  mouthfuls,  and,  as  the  days 
go  by,  these  worms  as  well  as  large  insects  are  given 
whole.  The  young  Robins  are  voracious  eaters,  each  one 
consuming,  one  authority  says,  sixty-seven  earthworms 
daily.  Certain  it  is  that  they  double  in  weight  every 
twenty-four  hours  at  first,  and  at  the  end  of  sixteen 
days  are  nearly  as  heavy  as  the  adults.  Usually  the 
eighteenth  day  witnesses  their  first  flight,  but  it  is  a 
long  time  after  that  before  they  learn  to  forage  for 
themselves. 

All  efforts  to  find  a  "  Robin  Roost "  in  California,  such 
as  is  common  among  the  Eastern  species,  have  failed  and 
I  can  obtain  no  definite  information  on  this  subject.  It 
may  be  this  is  one  of  the  habits  abandoned  with  their 
entrance  into  the  Land  of  Perpetual  Summer. 

763.  VARIED   THRUSH.  —  Lwreus  nonius. 
FAMILY  :  The  Thrushes,  Solitaires,  Bluebirds,  etc. 

Length:  9.00-10.00. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  dark  slate-color,  feathers  edged  with  light 
gray  ;  wings  banded  with  dark  brown  ;  side  of  head  black,  bordered 
above  with  brown  line ;  under  parts  light  red-brown  ;  breast  verging 
to  orange,  and  divided  from  throat  by  a  black  necklace. 

Adult  Female:  Similar  to  male,  but  much  duller  in  coloring. 

Young:  Like  female,  but  duller  and  more  or  less  spotted  with  light 
brown. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Along  Pacific  from  Alaska  to  Northern  Cali- 
fornia, south  in  winter  as  far  as  Lower  California. 

Breeding  Range :  Recorded  at  Humboldt,  California,  during  the  summer, 
and  may  breed  there.  Breeds  northward  to  Behring  Sea. 

Breeding  Season :  July. 


312 


LAND   BIRDS 


Nest :  Bulky  ;  in  bushes  and  low  trees. 

Eggs:  4  ;  pale  greenish  blue,  sparsely  marked  with  brown.     Size  1.13 
X  0.80. 

FROM  November  to  March  the  Varied  Thrush,  or 
Varied  Robin,  as  he  is  sometimes  called,  ranges  locally 
throughout  the  western  part  of  California  and  is  one 
of  the  handsomest  of  our  win- 
ter visitants.  Wherever  there 
are  holly  berries,  manzanita,  or 
mistletoe  there  are  sure  to  be 
flocks  of.  these  gayly 
colored  birds.  Silent 
and  shy,  they  take 
alarm  at  first  sight  of 
an  intruder  and  fly  up 
the  canon,  lighting 
here  and  there,  but 
keeping  well  ahead  of 
the  observer.  They 
are  often  found,  too, 
along  salt-water 
beaches,  sometimes  in 
company  with  the 
Western  robin,  sometimes  alone,  but  under  all  circum- 
stances as  silent  as  if  they  never  sang,  contenting  them- 
selves now  and  then  with  a  rare  chirp  that  is  without 
the  faintest  suggestion  of  their  glorious  summer  music. 

When  the  first  sunny  spring  days  come,  the  Varied 
Thrush  starts  on  his  trip  northward,  taking  it  by  easy 
stages,  and  en  route  he  sometimes  breaks  into  a  sweet 


768.   VARIED  THRUSH. 

"Silent  and  shy." 


DUSKY,   GRAY,   AND   SLATE-COLORED     313 

call-note,  but  is  for  the  most  part  as  silent  as  in  the  win- 
ter. By  short  stages  he  reaches  his  nesting  ground,  in  the 
dark  spruce  forests  from  the  northern  limit  of  California 
to  Alaska,  and  here  only  may  one  hear  him  sing.  Even 
here  he  is  the  shyest  of  woodland  choristers,  seldom 
seen,  though  his  weird  music  floats  through  the  silent 
forest  at  twilight  and  dawn  like  the  voice  of  a  spirit 
bird.  It  consists  of  five  or  six  notes  in  a  minor  key, 
each  one  uttered  with  a  peculiar  crescendo  of  its  own, 
complete  and  perfect  in  itself,  yet  in  perfect  harmony 
with  the  others.  In  July,  when  his  mate  is  brooding 
somewhere  among  the  dense  spruces,  he  chants  his 
evening  hyrnn  as  full  of  holy  transport  as  that  of  the 
hermit  thrush  of  the  Adirondacks,  or  from  the  top  of 
some  tall  pine  at  daybreak  he  carols  a  matin.  Never 
does  he  seem  either  enthusiastic  or  hurried.  His  spirit  is 
as  full  of  peace  as  the  forest  in  which  he  makes  his  nest. 


WITH   DUSKY,  GRAY,  AND    SLATE- COLORED   PLUMAGE 

390.     BELTED    KINGFISHER.  —  Ceryle  alcyan. 
FAMILY  :  The  Kingfishers. 

Length:  11.00-14.50. 

Head  with  occipital  crest  ;  bill  heavy  and  longer  than  head  ;  wings 
longer  than  tail. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts,  crest,  and  belt  across  the  breast  bluish  slate- 
color  ;  under  parts  and  collar  white;  .wing-quills  black,  marked  with 
white ;  middle  tail-feathers  slate-color ;  other  tail-feathers  black, 
spotted  with  white. 

Adult  Female :  Similar  to  male,  but  belly  partially  banded,  and  sides 
washed  with  rufous. 

Geographical  Distribution :  North  America. 

Breeding  Range :  United  States  and  British  Columbia. 


314  LAND   BIRDS 

Breeding  Season  :  In  California,  April  and  May. 

Nest:  An  excavation  6  to  12  feet  long,  in  a  bank,  usually  over  water. 

Eggs:  4  to  8  ;  white.     Size  1.35  X  1.08. 

ALONG  the  streams  of  the  interior  valleys  of  California 
the  Belted  Kingfisher  lives,  the  only  requisite  for  his 
happiness  being  sufficient  water  to  furnish  his  necessary 
supply  of  small  fish.  No  fresh- water  pond  or  brook  is 
complete  without  him.  Unsocial  and  even  quarrelsome, 
he  is  usually  seen  sitting  alone  on  a  low  perch  over- 
hanging the  water,  waiting  in  silence  for  the  gleam  of  a 
fin.  Suddenly  out  he  dashes,  hovers  above  the  waves 
a  moment,  then  plunges  down  to  reappear  with  a  strug- 
gling fish  in  his  bill  and  fly  to  a  different  perch  to  de- 
vour it.  Should  he  wait  long  with  no  success,  he  flies 
to  another  fishing  ground  a  few  yards  away,  uttering  his 
harsh  rattle ;  for  he  is  angry,  and  wants  the  world  to 
know  it.  This  cry  of  anger  rings  loud  and  clear  when 
he  sees  you  watching  him,  and  all  the  woodfolk  take 
warning  at  it.  A  deer  will  stop  drinking  instantly  on 
hearing  it  and  break  for  cover,  although  you  have  not 
moved  an  eyelash.  Even  more  than  the  jay,  is  the  King- 
fisher the  sentinel  of  the  wooded  lakes,  and  woe  to  the 
luck  of  the  hunter  whom  his  keen  eye  detects  in  a 
blind. 

His  nesting  place  is  a  steep  bank  where  he  can  ex- 
cavate for  himself  a  burrow  from  six  to  twelve  feet  long, 
rising  at  a  gentle  incline  and  ending  in  a  dome-shaped 
cavity  from  eight  to  ten  inches  in  diameter.  It  usually 
takes  from  one  to  two  weeks  of  labor  to  prepare  this 
subterranean  home.  In  digging,  the  bird  uses  his  heavy 


DUSKY,   GRAY,  AND  SLATE-COLORED    315 


bill  and  queer  toes  with  their  shovel-shaped  nails,  two 
of  which  have  become  united  half  their  length  through 
constant  service  of  this  sort.  His  method  of  starting  the 
hole  is  similar  to  that  of  the  bank  swallow.  Hovering 
in  front  of  the  bank,  he 
strikes  again  and  again 
as  a  hummingbird  drives 
his  bill  into  a  flower  tube, 
until  a  small  break  has  *- 
been  made  in  the  clay  or 
sand  of  the  bank.  This 
is  enlarged  with  bill  and 
claws  until  he  gradually 
disappears  in  it,  only  a 
shower  of  sand  occasion- 
ally testifying  to  his  prog- 
ress. As  in  the  case  of 
the  flickers,  both  male 
and  female  work  at  the  exca- 
vating, changing  about  every 
twenty  minutes.  The  one  who 
has  been*  resting  returns  to  a 
perch  near  by,  uttering  the 
characteristic  cry, — this  time 

not  expressing  anger,  —  and  almost  instantly  the  mate 
leaves  the  hole  and  flies  off  to  his  or  her  fishing, 
taking  no  notice  of  the  relief  guard,  who  promptly 
enters  the  burrow  and  resumes  work.  When  the 
nest  is  completed  and  the  first  one  of  the  six  or  seven 
white  eggs  has  been  laid,  the  mother  bird  broods  con- 


390.    BELTED  KINGFISHER. 

"  He  strikes  again  and  again." 


316  LAND  BIRDS 

stantly  by  day,  leaving  only  early  in  the  morning  and 
late  at  night. 

If  she  sees  her  nest  being  examined  she  returns  at 
once,  uttering  her  hoarse  rattling  cry  in  great  excitement, 
and  if  possible  enters  it.  The  male  guards  the  nest  and 
brings  food,  rarely  if  ever  brooding  the  eggs.  He  some- 
times prepares  a  second  and  shorter  burrow  as  a  sleeping 
place  for  himself  at  a  little  distance  from  the  original 
nest. 

The  Kingfisher's  habit  of  commencing  incubation  as 
soon  as  the  first  egg  is  laid  causes  a  great  discrepancy  in 
the  size  of  the  nestlings,  which  is  doubtless  increased  by 
the  greater  attention  paid  to  the  stronger  ones,  who 
crowd  to  the  front  to  be  fed.  The  young  are  absolutely 
naked  when  born,  and  present  a  ludicrously  top-heavy 
appearance.  Nevertheless,  to  the  eyes  of  their  fond 
parents  they  are  beauties,  and  are  valiantly  defended. 
I  have  known  the  mother  to  allow  herself  to  be  pulled 
entirely  out  of  the  burrow  by  her  hold  on  a  stick  thrust 
in,  and  then  turn  back  into  it,  showing  fight  all  the  way. 
The  male,  meanwhile,  was  administering  a  series  of  well- 
deserved  swooping  strikes  with  his  bill  on  the  cap  of 
the  tormentor. 

Unless  disturbed,  the  pair  will  occupy  the  same  nest 
year  after  year ;  and  if  a  new  one  must  be  excavated,  it 
is  usually  in  the  same  bank.  According  to  the  King- 
fisher code  of  ethics,  only  one  pair  can  fish  in  a  stream 
or  pond,  and  their  rights  are  usually  respected  by  all 
the  others. 


DUSKY,   GRAY,   AND   SLATE-COLORED    317 


424.    VAUX   SWIFT.  —  Chcetura  vauxi. 
FAMILY  :  The  Swifts. 

Length:  4.15-4.50. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  dusky  brown,  lighter  on  rump;  under  parts  gray, 
merging  to  whitish  on  throat ;  tail  spined. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Pacific  coast  region,  from  British  Columbia 
to  Mexico ;  east  casually  to  Montana  and  Arizona.  Migrates  to  Cen- 
tral America. 

California,  Breeding  Range  :  From  the  Santa  Cruz  mountains  northward 
through  humid  coast  belt. 

Breeding  Season  :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  Of  small  twigs  glued  together  in  the  shape  of  a  half  saucer,  and 
fastened  to  the  inside  walls  of  hollow  trees. 

Eggs:  3  to  5  ;  white.     Size  0.72  X  0.50. 

THE  Vaux  Swift,  while  not  very  abundant  anywhere 
in  California,  is  found  as  a  migrant  in  all  parts  of  the 
State,  and  breeds  in  suitable  localities  from  Santa  Cruz 
northward.  In  a  hollow  cotton  wood  tree  near  the  river, 
and  a  short  distance  from  the  town  of  Santa  Cruz,  a 
colony  of  several  pairs  of  these  small  Swifts  nest  every 
year.  On  the  fifteenth  of  June  three  of  the  nests  con- 
tained eggs,  and  the  others  were  empty  but  would 
doubtless  be  used  later.  Early  every  morning,  four  to 
five  o'clock,  the  adults  could  be  seen  skimming  over  the 
river  quite  near  the  surface,  every  now  and  then  darting 
down  as  if  to  sip,  and  instantly  rising  again.  One  that 
we  found  on  the  ground,  apparently  injured,  had  very 
large  liquid  eyes  like  the  chimney  swift  and  was  most 
appealingly  confiding.  It  was  either  too  stunned  or  too 
courageous  to  be  afraid,  for  it  rested  contentedly  in  my 


318  LAND  BIRDS 

hand,  making  no  effort  to  escape,  not  even  closing  its 
eyes  as  do  some  birds  to  feign  death.  The  birds  nesting 
in  the  tree  were  exceedingly  timid,  and  disappeared  as 
soon  as  the  tree  was  touched  at  the  base. 


447.    ARKANSAS    KINGBIRD.  —  Tyrannus  verticalis. 
FAMILY  :  The  Flycatchers. 

Length:  8.00-9.50. 

Adult  Male  :  Concealed  red  crown  patch  ;  head,  neck,  breast,  and  upper 

parts  light  ashy  gray  ;  throat  whitish ;  belly  lemon-yellow  ;  wings 

brown  ;  tail  black,  with  inner  web  of  outer  feathers  white. 
Adult  Female  :  Similar,  but  crown  patch  smaller. 
Young :  Like  adults,  but  crown  patch  wanting,  and  wing-coverts  edged 

with  buff. 
Geographical  Distribution  :  Western  North  America,  south  in  winter  to 

Guatemala. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Transition  and  lower  Sonoran  zones. 
Breeding  Season :  May  1  to  June  25. 
Nest :  In  trees,  not  far  from  the  ground  ;  woven   of  twigs,  weed  stems, 

rootlets,  hair,  string,  paper ;  lined  with  wool  or  hair,  and  decorated 

with  feathers. 
Eggs:  4  ;  creamy  pinkish,  marked   with  brown  and  purple  irregularly 

over  entire  surface.    .Size  0.94  X  0.65. 

LOOK  for  the  Arkansas  Kingbird  in  the  open  country 
about  the  river  valleys,  rather  than  in  the  forests  or 
mountains ;  wherever  water  and  willows  are  found 
throughout  the  Northwest,  you  will  be  sure  to  find  him. 
A  week  or  so  before  their  mates  come  in  the  early  spring, 
you  may  see  a  company  of  these  gay  bachelors  in  the 
tree  tops  singing  with  more  energy  than  melody,  a  queer 
conglomeration  of  the  notes  of  blackbird,  blue  jay,  and 


DUSKY,   GRAY,   AND  SLATE-COLORED    319 

chimney  swift,  with  the  cry  of  a  kitten.  Far  into  the 
night  you  may  hear  a  soloist,  but  the  chorus  is  silent 
after  the  sun  has  set.  With  the  earliest  peep  of  dawn 
they  are  astir  again,  down  to  the  water  for  a  bath  ;  and 
such  a  splatter !  Half  a  dozen  in  a  place  like  urchins 
in  a  swimming  pool,  and  each  one  trying  to  make  the 
greatest  splashing  !  Heads  down,  tails  up !  Heads  up, 
tails  down  !  Twisting 
and  wriggling,  until  every 
little  feather  stands  for 
itself  and  the  bare  skin 
is  plainly  visible  between 
them.  A  shake,  a  shower 
of  pearly  drops  flashing 
in  the  sunlight,  and  a 
very  porcupine-like  little  bird  flies 
up  to  a  sunny  perch  to  preen  and 
shake  and  preen  again.  Before  his 
long  performance  is  finished,  a  447-  ARKANSAS  KINGBIRD. 
lovely  golden  butterfly  flutters  by,  #„%?£!%?, wM  a great ihow 
and,  regardless  of  wet  wings,  out 

dashes  the  hungry  little  bird  after  him.  Ten  to  one  he 
gets  him,  comes  back  to  the  perch  to  breakfast,  and 
flies  down  to  a  weed  stalk  below  to  hunt  for  crickets  or 
grasshoppers.  After  his  appetite  is  appeased  he  is  ready 
for  a  scrimmage,  and  very  shortly  you  may  see  him  tum- 
bling about  in  midair,  the  pursued  or  pursuer  of  half  a 
dozen  of  his  kind  in  mock  combat. 

As  soon  as  the  demure  gray  dames  arrive  from  the 
South,  a  change  comes  over  the  spirit  of  the  bachelor,  — 


320  LAND   BIRDS 

a  change  of  degree  rather  than  kind.  He  becomes  more 
noisy,  and  the  combat  with  his  former  comrades  is  no 
longer  for  mere  fun  but  for  a  lady's  favor.  If  it  must 
be  won  by  war,  he  is  ready ;  if  not  —  well,  he  has 
already  selected  a  snug  spot  in  an  oak  tree,  protected 
from  wind  and  weather  by  a  broad  trunk  and  heavy  foli- 
age,—  a  charming  place  for  a  nest.  Will  Madam  look 
at  it  ?  A  few  days  later  both  are  seen  bringing  twigs, 
rootlets,  paper,  rags,  —  anything  in  fact  that  she  fancies 
and  can  carry  and  weave  into  the  characteristic  structure. 
Around  the  top,  on  the  outside,  she  will,  if  possible, 
weave  dull-colored  but  never  black  feathers  in  an  upright 
position  curving  inward  over  the  cradle.  Now,  it  may 
be  that  these  are  intended  for  ornament;  but  as  they 
wave  rakishly  in  the  wind,  they  serve  the  double  pur- 
pose of  somewhat  protecting  the  eggs  and  young  and 
rendering  it  almost  impossible  for  an  observer  to  tell 
from  below  whether  or  not  the  mother  is  brooding.  So 
whenever  there  is  a  chicken  yard  within  a  hundred  yards 
of  the  nest  tree,  feathers  will  adorn  the  nest.  Inside  it 
is  lined  with  a  felted  mat  of  cow  hair,  wool,  or  some 
warm  material  or  vegetable  fibre.  In  a  week  it  is  com- 
pleted, and  an  egg  is  laid  each  day  thereafter  until  there 
are  four.  By  this  time  the  gay  bachelor  has  become  a 
model  benedict,  bringing  the  little  mother  moths,  dragon- 
flies,  ants,  caterpillars,  big  black  crickets  without  num- 
ber, and  bees,  —  the  drones,  rarely  the  workers.  When 
she  leaves  home  for  a  short  outing,  he  sits  near  the  nest 
watching  with  a  great  show  of  alertness,  but  not  daring 
in  his  masculine  awkwardness  to  brood  those  precious 


DUSKY,  GRAY,  AND  SLATE-COLORED  321 

eggs.  Even  when  on  guard  duty  his  sex  asserts  itself, 
and  the  sight  of  a  fat  moth  tempts  him  to  forsake  his 
post  long  enough  to  snap  it  up. 

When  the  mother  bird  returns,  she  alights  near,  preens 
her  feathers  carefully,  answers  his  note  with  a  twittering 
chirp,  turns  the  eggs,  and  settles  herself  on  the  nest  with 
many  little  fussings  to  make  herself  comfortable. 

For  thirteen  days  the  mother  broods  while  the  father 
bird  watches,  and  then  the  wonderful  bits  of  bird  life  in 
the  nest  bring  another  change.  Now  the  male  is  ever  on 
the  wing,  catching  and  bringing  food  to  those  hungry 
pink  mouths.  At  first  they  are  fed  by  regurgitation,  but 
after  the  third  day  large  insects  are  torn  apart  and  given 
fresh.  Fourteen  crickets  in  ten  minutes  was  the  record 
of  one  busy  forager.  The  watchful  male  no  longer  tucks 
his  head  under  his  wings  at  night,  but  sleeps  with  it 
drawn  back  between  his  shoulders,  at  his  post  a  few  feet 
from  the  nest.  If  danger  threatens,  not  only  he  and  the 
mother  bird  will  defend  the  nestlings,  but  their  calls  will 
often  bring  every  Kingbird  of  the  neighborhood  to  the 
rescue. 

In  two  weeks  the  babies  have  grown  so  that  they 
overflow  the  nest,  and  one  balances  himself  outside. 
And  now  his  lessons  begin.  As  soon  as  he  has  learned 
to  use  his  wings  he  is  taught  to  catch  his  food  in  the 
same  way  in  which  he  must  obtain  it  all  his  life.  I  have 
seen  the  parent  bring  a  dragonfly  or  other  insect,  alight 
with  it  opposite  above  the  young  bird,  and  call  his  atten- 
tion to  it  in  a  peculiar  low  twitter.  Then,  when  quite 
ready,  he  releases  the  prey,  which  half  falls,  half  flutters, 
21 


322  LAND  BIRDS 

downward.  Nearly  always  the  nestling  is  out  after  it 
and  back  with  it  in  his  beak  before  you  can  realize  how 
it  is  done.  Many  times  have  we  watched  them,  and  the 
lesson  is  always  given  in  this  way,  and  always  repeated 
until  there  can  be  no  fear  of  missing.  Then  the  young 
are  taken  to  the  meadow  and  taught  to  dart  down  after 
butterflies  or  grasshoppers.  In  some  way  they  learn  that 
the  worker  bees  have  stings  and  must  not  be  caught,  but 
that  the  drones  are  delicious  morsels.  So  even  at  the 
bee-hive  they  are  a  benefit  to  the  farmer,  while  among 
the  fruit  trees  and  meadows  their  value  can  scarcely  be 
overestimated ;  and  the  stigma  of  "  Bee-bird,"  so  long 
unjustly  borne  by  them,  is  fast  becoming  a  word  of  praise 
among  intelligent  people. 


448.   CASSIN    KINGBIRD.  —  Tyrannus  vociferans. 
FAMILY  :  The  Flycatchers. 

Length:  8.00-9.00. 

Adults :  Grown  with  concealed  red  patch  ;  upper  parts  and  breast  dark 

gray  ;    belly   lemon-color ;   chin    white  ;    tail  black,    tipped    with 

grayish. 

Young :  Duller ;  wing-coverts  margined  with  buffy,  and  no  crown  patch. 
Geographical  Distribution :  From  eastern  slope  of  Rocky  Mountains  to 

Southern  Wyoming,  Western  Texas,  New  Mexico,  and  Arizona  ;  from 

Oregon  to  Lower  California. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Chiefly  in  upper  and  lower  Sonoran  zones 

throughout  the  State  ;  south  into  Lower  California. 
Breeding  Season  :  May  27  to  July  30. 
Nest :  Similar  to  that  of  the  Arkansas  kingbird. 
Eggs:  2  to  5  ;  similar  in  color  and  markings  to  the  Arkansas  kingbird's. 

Size  0.99  X  0.76. 

UNLIKE  the  Arkansas  kingbird,  the  Cassin  loves  the 
mountains  and  the  coast.     His  nest  has  been  taken  at 


DUSKY,   GRAY,   AND  SLATE-COLORED     323 

an  altitude  of  twelve  thousand  feet,  yet  he  is  by  no 
means  rare  along  the  lowlands.  Pine,  oak,  cottonwood, 
walnut,  hick  berry,  and  sycamore  trees  are  his  chosen 
nesting  sites,  and  on  the  horizontal  limbs  of  these  the 
bulky  cradle  is  constructed.  Twigs,  rootlets,  weed  stalks, 
string,  rags,  and  plant  fibre  form  its  walls,  grotesquely 
decorated  with  feathers,  like  those  of  the  Arkansas  king- 
bird. These  last,  waving  rakishly  in  the  wind,  are  quite 
in  keeping  with  the  character  of  the  bird.  From  two 
to  five  eggs  are  laid,  and  incubation  lasts  fourteen  days, 
the  female  alone  brooding  on  the  nest,  although  the 
male  is  always  near  to  defend.  The  courage  of  Cassin 
Kingbirds  cannot  be  doubted ;  and  though  they  are  far 
less  quarrelsome  than  the  Arkansas,  they  are  not  a  whit 
less  brave  in  defence.  In  some  instances  their  pluckiness 
exceeds  that  of  their  relatives,  for  while  the  latter  are 
content  to  live  at  peace  with  hawks  and  crows,  Cassin 
Kingbirds  drive  both  these  from  their  neighborhood  by 
an  onslaught  both  fierce  and  speedy.  For  this  they 
have  good  cause,  for  crows  are  thieves  and  cannibals, 
feasting  on  the  eggs  and  young  of  smaller  birds. 

The  young  Kingbirds,  although  born  naked,  soon 
develop  feathers.  They  stay  in  the  nest  about  two 
weeks,  and  are  taught  to  fly  and  hunt  in  the  same 
manner  as  are  the  little  Arkansas  nestlings,  and  as  also 
are  the  young  of  the  Eastern  kingbird,  called  the  tyrant. 
Of  the  many  broods  of  the  latter  that  I  have  watched, 
the  process  has  ever  been  the  same.  Nor  do  they  differ 
greatly  in  any  of  their  habits.  The  Cassin,  sitting  on  a 
fence  or  a  weed  stalk,  flying  out  after  a  passing  insect, 


324  LAND   BIRDS 

chasing  a  crow,  or  perched  on  a  dead  twig  all  fluffed 
out  for  a  sun-bath,  shows  the  same  characteristic  traits 
that  amuse  us  in  his  relatives,  and  we  welcome  the  sight 
as  of  an  old  friend.  His  food  consists  of  large  insects 
and  caterpillars,  with  possibly  a  peck  at  the  farmer's 
fruit.  His  call  is  the  shrill  note  of  his  family,  somewhat 
modulated. 


454.    ASH-THROATED    FLYCATCHER.— Myiarchus 

cinerascens. 
FAMILY  :  The  Flycatchers. 

Length:  8.00-8.50. 

Adults :  Throat  and  chest  light  gray,  merging  to  white  on  the  throat ; 
belly  sulphur-yellow ;  upper  parts  grayish  brown  ;  two  white  wing- 
bars  ;  tertials  edged  with  white  ;  outer  tail-feathers  with  outer  webs 
distinctly  white. 

Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  tail-feathers  rufous. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  United  States  from  Northern  Oregon 
south  to  Mexico,  east  to  Colorado,  south  in  winter  to  Guatemala. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Below  Transition  zone,  nearly  throughout 
the  State. 

Breeding  Season :  May  5  to  June  24. 

Nest:  In  knot-holes  of  trees  or  giant  cactuses  or  in  woodpeckers'  holes, 
and  sometimes  behind  pieces  of  bark  ;  lined  with  hair,  snake  skin, 
grass,  and  rootlets. 

Eggs:  3  to  6  ;  buffy,  covered  with  longitudinal  scrawls  of  purple.  Size 
0.88  x  0.65. 

QUITE  different  from  the  noisy  kingbirds  are  these 
demure,  dignified  Flycatchers.  Even  in  Southern  Cali- 
fornia they  are  only  summer  residents,  going  south  to 
Guatemala  in  the  winter.  They  nest  indiscriminately  in 
the  dense  thickets  of  the  river  bottoms  or  in  the  oak 
groves  of  the  foot-hills,  in  the  canons  or  on  the  desert 
plains,  where  the  cactus  and  the  mesquite  are  the  only 


DUSKY,   GRAY,   AND  SLATE-COLORED     325 

green  things.  The  call  may  be  mistaken  for  that  of  the 
phainopepla,  but  never  were  birds  more  unlike  in  ap- 
pearance or  habits.  This  species,  more  than  any  other 
of  the  flycatcher  family,  deserves  the  name  of  "  tyrant " 
which  has  been  given  to  its  Eastern  relative.  Not  only 
will  it  drive  all  other  birds,  large  or  small,  away  from  its 
nest  tree  but,  it  has  the  reputation  of  being  a  "  claim- 
jumper."  It  has  been  caught  nesting  in  newly  formed 
cavities  prepared  by  both  the  Texas  and  Gairdner  wood- 
peckers, and  in  one  case  at  least  I  know  the  woodpeckers 
were  at  work  on  the  hole  when  driven  away  by  usurpers. 
The  battle  raged  vigorously  at  intervals  for  a  whole  day. 
No  sooner  had  the  Flycatchers  settled  the  affair  and 
begun  to  line  the  nest  with  rabbit  fur,  than  the  wood- 
peckers returned  to  the  fray ;  during  the  temporary  ab- 
sence of  the  bandits  they  scratched  out  every  bit  of  the 
unwelcome  material,  and  prepared  to  reoccupy  their 
home  themselves.  But  as  always,  the  fiercer  temper  of 
the  Flycatchers  prevailed  over  the  brave  resistance  of 
the  woodpeckers,  and  after  repeated  defeats  they  sur- 
rendered. Afterwards  under  the  tree  was  found  one 
broken  egg  of  the  little  woodpeckers,  probably  scratched 
out  of  the  nest  cavity  in  their  energetic  endeavors  to  get 
rid  of  the  rabbit  fur,  and  telling  more  pathetically  than 
any  words  the  story  of  their  ruined  hopes. 

This  family  of  Ash-throats  were  wonderful  uphol- 
sterers, for  the  cavity  was  thickly  padded  on  sides  and 
bottom  with  short  hairs  and  rabbit  fur,  until  there  was 
little  space  left.  In  this  were  laid  three  small  eggs,  and 
on  June  9  incubation  began.  During  the  fifteen  days 


326  LAND  BIRDS 

following  I  did  not  once  see  the  male  enter  the  nest  or 
bring  food  to  the  female.  She  seemed  a  careless  mother, 
leaving  the  eggs  nearly  every  day  for  several  hours  at  a 
time.  At  least  once  during  these  absences  she  had  en- 
joyed a  bath,  for  her  feathers  seemed  quite  wet  when 
she  came  to  the  tree.  After  a  short  preening  she  slipped 
inside.  I  presume  this  was  a  daily  occurrence.  When 
the  nestlings  finally  broke  the  shell,  it  was  not  necessary 
to  climb  to  the  nest  to  discover  the  fact,  for  the  changed 
behavior  of  the  male  told  the  secret.  He  was  all  fussi- 
ness,  and  instead  of  dozing  in  the  sun  on  an  exposed 
perch,  he  came  every  five  minutes  or  so  with  bugs  for 
those  small  naked  babies.  At  first  he  swallowed  these 
and  flew  almost  immediately  to  feed  the  young  by  regur- 
gitation,  but  as  they  grew  older  he  carried  raw  food  to 
the  nest.  Often  he  alighted  on  the  tree  near  the  tiny 
doorway  and  by  pulling  off  the  wings  and  legs  prepared 
the  soft  parts  of  the  insect  to  be  eaten  by  his  nestlings. 
From  the  amount  of  food  consumed  one  would  imagine 
nothing  smaller  than  young  owls  inhabited  the  nursery. 
Twenty-two  grasshoppers  were  taken  in  less  than  half  an 
hour,  making  more  than  seven  apiece.  The  nestlings 
being  so  small,  this  seems  an  appalling  amount  to  be 
crammed  into  those  tiny  throats  ;  but  it  evidently  agreed 
with  them,  for  they  grew  at  a  surprising  pace,  and  on  the 
sixteenth  day  they  were  well  prepared  for  their  de"but. 

The  first  flight  was  no  farther  than  a  sheltering  branch 
of  the  same  tree,  and  there  the  plump  little  fellows  sat 
all  one  day  looking  out  over  the  green  forest  world  with 
wondering  baby  eyes.  On  the  fourth  day,  in  a  lower 


DUSKY,   GRAY,   AND  SLA  IE-COLORED     327 

tree,  the  mother  gave  them  a  lesson  in  catching  insects. 
She  brought  a  small  butterfly  and  lit  a  little  above  and 
in  front  of  one  of  the  young.  She  fluttered  out  toward 
him  holding  the  insect  in  her  bill,  then  she  released  the 
latter  so  that  it  flew  lamely  down  just  in  front  of  the 
eager  baby.  He  almost  lost  his  balance  in  his  swift 
darting  down  after  it,  and  was  obliged  to  alight  upon  a 
lower  perch  to  eat  it,  instead  of  returning  in  true  fly- 
catcher fashion  to  the  one  just  left.  This  did  not  suit 
his  fastidious  drillmaster,  whether  because  of  the  low 
perch  or  lack  of  obedience  to  rules  is  unknown.  She 
fluttered,  scolded,  and  coaxed ;  but  he  finished  his  meal, 
shut  his  eyes  tightly  after  the  manner  of  nestlings,  and 
rested  where  he  was.  Later  on  she  had  persuaded  him 
to  come  up  higher,  and  the  lesson  was  repeated  with 
variations  at  intervals  all  day.  Three  days  after  this  he 
was  catching  flies  for  himself,  although  still  following 
the  mother  about  and  begging  with  quivering  wings  for 
the  larger  insects  he  saw  her  seize,  and  too  often  getting 
them. 


485.    OREGON   JAY.  —  Pensorem  obscurus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Crows,  .lays,  Magpies,  etc. 

Length:  9.50-11.00. 

Adults:  Forehead  and  nasal  tufts  white  ;  top  of  head  and  back  of  neck 
sooty  black  ;  back,  scapulars,  wings,  and  tail  brownish  gray  ;  tail 
slightly  tipped  with  white  ;  feathers  with  white  shaft-streaks  ;  under 
parts  white. 

Young:  Dull  sooty-brown,  darkest  on  head  ;  under  parts  brownish. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Northern  California,  Oregon,  and  Washing- 
ton to  British  Columbia. 


LAND  BIRDS 


California  Breeding  Range :  Higher  mountains  of  Northern  California. 

Breeding  Season:  March  15  to  May  15. 

Neat:  Compactly  built  of  fine  twigs,  interlaced  with  dry  grass,  moss, 

and  plant  fibre ;  lined  with  fine  tree  moss ;  placed  usually  high  up 

in  fir  trees. 
Eggs :  4  or  5  ;  pearl  or  greenish  gray,  spotted  and  flecked  quite  evenly 

with  lavender  and  gray.     Size  1.04  X  0.79. 

WE  are  accustomed  to  think  of  jays  as  mostly  blue,  or, 
at  least,  having  some  blue  in  their  plumage,  but  here  is 
a  variety  that  has  not  a  single  blue  feather. 

From  the  tip  of  his  crestless  head     -;.•<<?"  J^         to  the 


tip  of  his  long 
tail  he  is  sober 
black,  white,  and 
brownish  gray, 
and  elegant  in 
are  his  relatives, 
fronted,  and  Cali- 
s  o  m  e  one  has 
much  more  like 
chickadee. 

Like  the  chickadee  also,  he  is  easily  tamed,  coming 
to  house  or  camp  for  food  and  becoming  so  familiar  as  to 
be  a  source  of  great  amusement.  It  is  only  necessary 
to  settle  oneself  quietly  and  feed  him  to  be  overwhelmed 
with  his  attentions.  Mr.  Anthony  tells  of  a  funny  ex- 
perience with  these  birds.  He  says  :  "  While  dressing 
deer  in  the  thick  timber  I  have  been  almost  covered  with 


485.    OREGON  JAY. 
'  Xot  a  single  blue  feather.' 


Nor  is  he  smooth 
appearance,  as 
the  coast,  blue- 
fornia  jays.  As 
said,  he  looks 
an  overgrown 


491.     CLARKE  NUTCRACKER 
Nucifraga  columbiana 


DUSKY,   GRAY,  AND   SLATE-COLORED    329 

Jays  flying  down  from  the  neighboring  trees.  They 
would  settle  on  my  back,  head,  or  shoulders,  tugging  and 
pulling  at  each  loose  shred  of  my  coat,  until  one  would 
think  that  their  only  object  was  to  help  me  in  all  ways 
possible.  At  such  times  their  note  was  a  low  plain- 
tive cry." 

The  nest-building  commences  early  in  March,  and  a 
site  upon  the  horizontal  branches  high  up  in  a  fir  tree  is 
commonly  chosen.  Both  birds  bring  material,  —  twigs 
and  moss  from  the  sides  of  the  trees,  and  bits  of  bark, — 
and  both  work  at  shaping  the  nest.  At  least  two  weeks 
are  occupied  in  this  work  and  two  more  in  incubation. 
On  account  of  the  high  altitude  chosen  for  residence  and 
the  lofty  site  of  the  nest  itself,  the  breeding  habits  of 
these  Jays  are  less  frequently  observed  than  those  of  the 
jays  of  the  valleys  and  foot-hills.  In  California  this 
species  occurs  only  in  the  northwestern  corner  and  as  far 
south  as  Mendocino  County. 

491.   CLARKE   NUTCRACKER.  —  Nucifraga  columbiana. 
FAMILY  :  The  Crows,  Jays,  Magpies,  etc. 

Length:  12.00-13.00. 

Adults:  Bill  cylindrical ;  wings  long  and  pointed;  uniform  light  gray, 
becoming  whitish  on  forehead  and  chin  ;  wings  and  middle  tail- 
feathers  glossy  black ;  a  patch  on  wings  and  outer  tail-feathers 
white. 

Young  :  Similar  to  adult,  but  upper  parts  shaded  with  brown,  and  under 
parts  more  or  less  barred  with  brown. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Higher  coniferous  forest  of  Western  North 
America. 

Breeding  Range:  In  California  the  pine  regions  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
from  Mt.  Shasta  to  the  San  Bernardino  mountains. 

Breeding  Season:  March  15  to  May  15. 


330  LAND  BIRDS 

Nest :  Bulky  ;  of  twigs  ;  lined  with  shredded  bark,  grasses,  and  pine 
needles  ;  placed  in  coniferous  trees,  8  to  40  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs:  3  to  5  ;  light  green,  irregularly  marked  with  brown,  gray,  and 
light  purple.  Size  1.22  X  0.95. 

"  As  black  as  a  crow "  loses  its  significance  when  one 
looks  at  the  soft  gray  plumage  of  the  Clarke  Crow,  or 
Nutcracker,  of  the  California  mountains.  In  coloring  he 
is  much  more  like  our  common  shrikes  than  like  the 
family  with  which  his  structure  classes  him.  And  with 
the  change  in  plumage  we  find  a  change  of  heart,  for  the 
Nutcracker  has  few  of  the  reprehensible  traits  of  his  kin. 
True,  if  nuts  and  insects  were  scarce  and  eggs  or  young 
birds  plentiful,  his  menu  would  doubtless  include  the 
latter;  but  his  choice  is  always  for  vegetable  or  insect 
food.  Grasshoppers  and  the  big  wingless  black  crickets 
he  devours  in  untold  numbers,  and  grows  fat  on  the  diet. 
Butterflies  he  catches  on  the  wing  in  flycatcher  fashion  ; 
grubs  he  picks  from  the  bark,  clinging  to  the  side  of  the 
tree  trunks  and  hammering  like  a  woodpecker;  like  a 
crossbill,  he  hangs  to  the  under  side  of  a  pine  cone  and 
probes  for  seeds  ;  meat  or  fish  he  will  steal,  if  he  can, 
from  the  camper,  after  the  manner  of  the  Oregon  jays. 
He  shares  with  this  bird  the  epithet  of  "  camp  robber." 
His  migrations  are  always  vertical  and  for  the  purpose  of 
food  supplies.  Breeding  commonly  in  the  spruce  belt 
in  September  when  the  pinon  nuts  are  ripening,  he 
comes  down  the  mountains  in  flocks  to  feast  upon  them. 
Farther  north,  the  deep  snows  drive  him  toward  the 
valleys  until  he  finds  some  snow-bound  ranchman's  or 
miner's  camp,  where  scraps  of  the  refuse  will  provide  his 
daily  meals..  In  the  silence  and  desolation  of  the  winter 


DUSKY,   GRAY,   AND   SLATE-COLORED     331 

forest,  he  is  hailed  as  a  welcome  bit  of  life  and  fed  until 
he  becomes  very  tame  and  very  saucy. 

It  is  on  the  crests  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  that  these 
birds  are  found  most  abundantly.  Here  they  sun  them- 
selves on  the  highest  peaks,  frolicking  noisily  in  the  clear, 
bracing  air.  When  hungry  or  thirsty,  out  they  dart  from 
their  lofty  perches  and,  with  wings  folded,  hurl  them- 
selves down  the  canon  with  the  speed  of  a  bullet.  Just 
as  you  are  sure  they  will  be  dashed  to  pieces,  their  wings 
open  with  an  explosive  noise  and  the  headlong  fall  is 
checked  in  a  moment.  Sometimes  the  descent  is  finished 
as  lightly  as  the  fall  of  a  bit  of  thistle  down  ;  sometimes 
by  another  series  of  swift  flights ;  often  by  one  rocket- 
like  plunge.  At  the  foot  a  mountain  brook  furnishes 
food  and  drink.  As  the  shadows  creep  up  the  sides  of 
the  canon,  the  Nutcrackers  follow  the  receding  sunlight 
to  the  summit  again,  mounting  by  very  short  flights  from 
tree  to  tree,  in  the  same  way  that  a  jay  climbs  to  the  top 
of  a  tree  by  hopping  from  one  branch  to  another. 

My  own  records  of  the  nesting  habits  of  this  bird  as 
studied  in  the  San  Bernardino  mountains  differ  some- 
what from  those  made  by  observers  in  more  northern 
regions.  The  nests  were  all  rather  bulky,  composed  first 
of  a  platform  of  twigs,  each  one  nearly  a  foot  in  length, 
so  interlaced  that  to  pull  one  was  to  disarrange  the  mass. 
Upon  this,  and  held  in  place  by  the  twigs  at  the  sides, 
was  the  nest  proper,  —  a  soft,  warm  hemisphere  of  fine 
strips  of  bark,  matted  with  grasses  and  pine  needles 
until  it  was  almost  like  felt.  This  is  stiffened,  bound, 
and  made  firmer  by  coarse  strips  of  bark  around  the  out- 


332  LAND  BIRDS 

side,  these  also  binding  it  to  the  twigs  and  helping  to 
hold  it  on  the  limb.  So  firmly  is  the  whole  put  together 
and  fastened  to  the  branch  that  no  storm  can  move  it 
from  its  foundations.  None  of  the  nests  were  higher 
than  twelve  feet  from  the  ground,  and  one  was  only  eight 
feet  up.  They  were  in  neighboring  trees  only  about  fifty 
yards  apart. 

On  the  tenth  of  March  three  nests  contained  two 
and  three  eggs  respectively  ;  incubation  had  begun,  and 
silence  reigned  in  Nutcracker  Camp.  Whichever  bird 
happened  to  be  on  the  nest  was  fed  by  the  other,  and  in 
one  instance  I  am  positive  that  it  was  the  female  who 
brought  food  to  her  mate.  I  judged  this  because  of  her 
more  fluffy,  worn  plumage  and  heavier  build.  Incuba- 
tion lasted  eighteen  days.  The  newly  hatched  young  in 
these  nests  were  naked  and  very  dark  bluish  gray.  I  think 
those  recorded  by  another  observer  as  "  pied  black  and 
white  "  must  have  been  taken  at  a  later  date.  When 
two  weeks  old  they  do  look  somewhat  mottled,  though 
I  should  describe  it  as  light  and  dark  dusky  rather  than 
black  and  white ;  or  possibly  whitish  and  dark  gray 
would  hit  it  nearer.  They  were  fed  on  pinon  nuts, 
which  were  carried  to  the  nest  and  hulled  by  the  adult 
while  perched  just  outside  on  the  branch.  I  could  not 
discover  that  any  other  food  was  brought  them.  At  first 
this  was  given  by  regurgitation,  but  when  the  young 
were  a  few  days  old  the  food  was  supplied  to  them 
direct. 

As  soon  as  they  were  ready  to  leave  the  nest  they 
were  coaxed  by  short  flights  to  the  nut  pines,  and  readily 


DUSKY,  GRAY,  AND  SLATE-COLORED  333 

learned  to  shell  the  nuts  and  provide  for  themselves. 
Then  it  would  seem  a  complete  change  of  diet  was 
necessary;  for  they  disappeared  from  these  regions  en- 
tirely, flocking  to  a  locality  where  berries,  fish,  and  in- 
sects abound.  By  the  middle  of  June  not  one  was  left 
in  the  old  breeding  grounds.  We  missed  their  harsh 
"  jar-jaar,"  the  flash  of  their  bluck  and  white  wings  in 
the  summer  sunlight,  and  the  woods  seemed  strangely 
silent  bereft  of  their  gay  company. 


567  a.   OREGON    JUNCO. — Junco  oreganus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  6.00-6.50. 

Adult  Male :  Head,  neck,  and  chest  black  or  dark  slate-color  ;  the  chest 
line  being  convex  instead  of  straight  against  the  white  under  parts  ; 
middle  of  back  dark  brown  ;  sides  deep  pinkish  brown  ;  three  onter 
tail-feathers  white  ;  outside  pair  entirely  white. 

Adult  Female  :  Similar  to  male,  but  slate-color  in  place  of  black;  crown 
and  hind-neck  washed  with  brown,  remainder  of  upper  parts  brown- 
ish ;  sides  and  flank  dull  pinkish  brown. 

Young :  Upper  parts  brown  and  streaked  ;  under  parts  buffy. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast,  Alaska  to  British  Columbia  ; 
south  in  winter  to  California,  east  to  Eastern  Oregon  and  Nevada. 

Breeding  Range :  From  British  Columbia  northward. 

Breeding  Season :  April  to  July. 

Nest :  Of  dry  grasses  loosely  put  together  ;  lined  with  cow  hair  ;  placed 
generally  on  or  near  the  ground,  in  holes  among  the  roots  of  bushes 
and  trees,  and  often  under  wood  piles. 

Eggs :  4  or  5  ;  whitish  or  greenish  white,  more  or  less  specked  with  red- 
dish brown.  Size  0.77  X  0.56. 


334  LAND   BIRDS 

616.    BANK   SWALLOW.—  Riparia  riparia. 
FAMILY  :  The  Swallows. 

Length:  4.75-5.50. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  grayish  brown  or  sooty,  darker  on  head  and  wings, 
paler  on  rump  and  upjier  tail-coverts ;  under  parts  white,  with  abroad 
band  of  sooty  across  chest  and  sides  ;  usually  a  sooty  spot  on  breast. 

Young:  Similar  to  adults,  but  feathers  of  wings  and  rump  with  bufly  or 
whitish  edgings. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Northern  hemisphere  in  general ;  in  America 
migrating  south  in  winter  to  Cuba  and  Jamaica,  Central  and  North- 
ern South  America. 

California  Breeding  Range:  In  suitable  localities  throughout  the  State. 

Breeding  Season:  June  and  July. 

Nest:  In  horizontal  holes  or  burrows  excavated  in  sand  banks  and  banks 
of  streams  ;  thinly  lined  with  fine  twigs,  grasses,  and  feathers. 

Eggs:  3  to  6;  white.     Size  0.72  X  0.50, 

AMONG  the  birds  that  I  have  watched,  few  have  been 
more  timid  and  more  difficult  to  study  than  the  dull- 
colored  Bank  Swallows.  Unless  you  have  seen  them, 
as  with  wings  fluttering  they  strike  the  first  blow  into 
the  hard  sand  or  clay  of  the  nesting  site,  you  will  be 
puzzled  as  to  how  it  is  done.  Feet  and  bill  divide  the 
toil,  and  but  for  the  wings  you  might  suppose  a  small 
gray  mouse  at  work.  The  soil  must  be  stiffer  than  light 
sand  in  order  to  prevent  a  "cave  in,"  and  not  infre- 
quently clay  or  mixed  gravel  and  sand  are  chosen. 
These  offer  a  discouraging  resistance  to  the  delicate 
beak  and  claws,  but  the  persistent  little  miners  keep 
bravely  at  work  in  spite  of  obstacles,  so  long  as  human 
intruders  are  out  of  sight.  An  attempt  to  investigate 
their  work  or  study  them  at  close  range,  if  persisted  in, 
usually  results  in  abandonment  of  the  site. 


DUSKY,   GRAY,  AND  SLATE-COLORED     335 

Like  all  swallows,  these  birds  are  eminently  gregarious, 
nesting  in  colonies  of  hundreds.  The  old  birds  come 
back  to  the  same  nest  year  after  year,  and  the  young  of 
the  colony  make  homes  for  themselves  near  by,  until  the 
bank  looks  as  if  riddled  by  cannon  balls.  The  nests  are 
rudely  excavated  tunnels  about  two  feet  long  and  a  little 
larger  at  the  inner  end.  In  this  the  Swallows  place  a 
lining  of  grass  and  feathers.  In  such  a  nest  we  found 
in  one  instance  six  small  white  eggs  resembling  those  of 
a  chimney  swift,  but  less  transparent.  In  another,  lay 
the  naked,  newly  hatched  young,  so  small  and  pink  that 
they  looked  like  tiny  new-born  mice.  In  another  nest 
there  were,  on  June  2,  four  fully  fledged  young,  who 
popped  out  at  the  first  disturbance.  One  flew  into  my 
hand  and  died  instantly  from  fright. 

Watch  from  a  distance  a  colony  of  these  Bank  Swal- 
lows during  the  morning  or  evening  feeding-time.  Every 
little  doorway  is  filled  with  eager  heads  on  the  qui  vive 
for  the  coming  meal.  As  the  adult  birds  alight  at  their 
own  nest,  the  nestlings  of  the  neighborhood  whose  sup- 
per is  belated  stretch  their  little  necks  and  watch  the 
feeding  with  mingled  curiosity  and  longing.  A  step 
overhead  or  a  sudden  shadow,  as  of  a  hawk  across  the 
sun,  and,  as  if  by  magic,  the  yellow  bank  presents  only 
rows  of  empty  black  holes. 


336  LAND   BIRDS 

622  a.   WHITE-RUMPED    SHRIKE.  —  Lanius  ludovicianus 

excubitorides. 
FAMILY  :  The  Shrikes. 

Length:  8.00-10.00. 

Adult:  Upper  parts  pale  bluish  gray  ;  bill,  lores,  and  nasal  tufts  black  ; 
rump  whitish,  under  parts  pure  white,  sometimes  very  lightly  marked. 

Young :  Similar,  but  colors  less  strongly  contrasted,  tinged  with  brown 
and  narrowly  barred  ;  wing-coverts  tipped  with  dull  light  buffy. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  North  America  from  eastern  border 
of  the  plains  to  Lower  California,  and  from  Manitoba  to  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range :  East  side  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  from  Shasta 
valley,  south  to  Lower  California,  chiefly  below  Transition  zone. 

Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 

Nest:  Placed  in  hedges,  scrubby,  isolated  little  trees,  thorn  trees, 
thickets.  The  nest  is  large,  loose,  and  bulky  ;  composed  of  weed 
stems,  grasses,  cornstalks,  rootlets,  paper,  etc. ;  thickly  lined  with 
chicken  feathers. 

Eggs:  4  to  6  ;  grayish  or  yellowish  white,  marked  and  spotted  with  pur- 
ple, light  brown,  or  olive.  Size  0.97  X  0.73. 

IT  is  not  easy,  at  a  distance,  to  distinguish  the  White- 
ruinped  from  the  more  familiar  California  shrike  ;  but 
while  the  former  has  pure  white  under  parts,  the  entire 
plumage  of  the  latter  is  tinged  more  or  less  with  brown- 
ish, and  the  under  parts  are  quite  dingy,  being  covered 
with  wavy  hair-lines  of  brown.  The  range  is  different, 
but  the  two  are  likely  to  overlap  somewhat  in  spite  of 
the  dividing  line  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 

Both  species  indulge  in  the  much  censured  habit  of  im- 
paling their  prey  on  thorns  or  on  the  barbs  of  a  wire  fence ; 
but  this  is  largely  from  necessity  when  the  catch  is  either 
mice  or  small  birds,  as  the  habits  of  the  Shrikes  in  cap- 
tivity have  proved  that  they  must  have  some  such  way 
of  fastening  raw  meat  before  they  can  tear  it. 


DUSKY,   GRAY,   AND  SLATE-COLORED      337 

He  does  destroy  numbers  of  small  birds  each  year,  and 
for  this  we  condemn  him ;  but,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
good  he  does  may  outweigh  the 
evil.  Jerusalem  crickets,  grass- 
hoppers, field  mice,  and  lizards 
form  the  largest  part  of  his  diet, 
and  it  would  be  difficult  to  com- 
pute his  value  to  the  farmer. 

Except   for  the   difference    in 
environment,  the  nesting  habits 
of  the  White-rumped  closely  re- 
semble  those   of   the   California 
Shrike.     In  fact,  but  for  location, 
an  expert  can  scarcely  distinguish    622  a.  WHITE- 
the   nest  and   eggs   of  the   one    RUMPED  SHRIKE' 
from  those  of  the  other,  and  the  "^^^^ 
sets  of  different  pairs  of  birds  often  differ  as  much  as 
those  of  the  two  species. 


622  b.    CALIFORNIA   SHRIKE.  —  Lanius  ludovicianus 

gambeli. 
FAMILY  :  The  Shrikes. 

Length:  8.00-10.00. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  slate-gray,  tinged  with  brownish  ;  upper  tail-cov- 
erts sometimes  abruptly  light  grayish,  or  even  white,  same  as  the 
white-rumped  shrike  ;  under  parts  dull  white  or  grayish,  darker  on 
sides ;  breast  usually  distinctly  undulated  or  narrowly  barred  with 
grayish,  and  sometimes  tinged  with  pale  brown. 

Young:  Similar  to  adults,  but  colors  less  distinctly  contrasted. 

Geographical  Distribution :  California,  especially  the  coast  district. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Coast  region  from  Red  Bluff  to  San  Diego. 


338  LAND   BIRDS 

Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 

Nest :  Usually  in  a  scrubby  tree  ;  from  5  to  30  feet  from  the  ground  ; 

bulky;    made   of  coarse  twigs,  straws,  grass,   feathers,  cotton,  and 

wool. 
Eggs:  4  to  7  ;  gray,  marked  and  spotted  with  purple,  light  brown,  and 

olive.     Size  0.97  X  0.73. 


IN  a  scrubby  tree  or  thorny  bush  the  California  Shrike 
builds  her  nest  of  whatever  materials  may  strike  her 
fancy.  Usually  the  bulk  of  it  consists  of  weed  stems 
and  rootlets ;  but  an  astonishing  amount  of  trash,  such 
as  string,  bits  of  lace,  black  ribbon,  and  feathers,  were 
woven  into  one  that  especially  interested  me.  The  lace 
was  recognized  as  belonging  nearly  half  a  mile  away,  and 
had  probably  been  carried  by  the  bird  all  that  distance. 
Feathers  which  waved  rakishly  on  the  rim  of  the  struc- 
ture came  from  the  chicken  yard  of  the  same  ranch  where 
the  lace  was  originally  owned.  In  place  of  the  usual 
tough  rootlets,  palm  fibre  and  yucca  thread  had  been 
used  with  a  large  proportion  of  shredded  bark  and 
weed  steins.  The  whole  was  lined  with  a  felted  mat  of 
cow  hair  nicely  padded  into  place  on  sides  and  bottom. 
Inasmuch  as  the  bird  was  seen  to  bring  this  hair  in 
small  bunches  and  all  this  felting  was  done  by  him,  the 
result  was  surprisingly  smooth  and  compact.  Both  sexes 
worked  busily  at  the  building,  being  frequently  at  the 
nest  together. 

On  May  17  the  first  egg  was  laid,  and  one  each  day 
thereafter  until  there  were  five.  Twelve  days  were  re- 
quired for  incubation,  and  on  June  3  five  naked  nest- 
lings were  cuddled  in  a  tangled  mass  in  the  soft  cup. 
And  now  we  had  a  fine  opportunity  to  watch  the  hunt- 


DUSKY,   GRAY,   AND  SLATE-COLORED    339 

ing  of  the  so-called  "  Butcher  bird."  The  favorite  perch 
was  a  telegraph  wire,  and  from  there  swoops  were  made 
downward  into  the  grass  with  startling  swiftness.  Not 
a  movement  in  the  meadow  escaped  him,  not  a  cricket 
could  jump  but  he  saw  it,  even  fifty  feet  away,  and 
caught  it  at  the  first  trial.  For  the  first  week  the  food 
was  swallowed  by  the  adults  and  given  to  the  young  in 
a  partially  digested  form  by  regurgitation.  Then  came 
an  intermediate  stage  in  which  they  received  fresh  food 
bitten  up  by  the  adult.  After  the  nestlings  were  strong 
enough  to  help  themselves  at  all,  the  insects  were  held 
firmly  in  the  beak  of  the  adult  and  pulled  off,  a  bit  at  a 
time  by  the  young  bird.  No  food  was  hung  up  in  the 
nest  tree. 

When  the  young  Shrikes  were  fully  fledged  and  had 
left  the  nest  tree,  they  still  followed  the  parents  about 
with  open  mouths  and  quivering  wings,  begging  for  food 
until  they  were  nearly  five  weeks  old.  They  still  tore 
bits  from  insects  held  in  the  beak  of  the  adult  or  im- 
paled on  a  barbed-wire  fence,  which  was  their  favorite 
perch.  When  six  weeks  old,  one  of  the  young  birds  man- 
aged to  capture  a  grasshopper,  and  I  saw  him  trying  to 
impale  it  on  the  fastening  of  a  telegraph  wire  insulator, 
watched  by  an  adult  Shrike  two  feet  away. 

Although  usually  silent  except  for  a  harsh  note  of 
alarm,  both  the  California  and  the  white-rumped  shrike 
have  a  love  song  strikingly  at  variance  with  their  repu- 
tation for  wanton  butchery.  One  can  scarcely  credit 
the  shrike  with  the  tenderness  expressed  by  the  sweet 
warble  that  comes  from  the  nest  tree  when  the  satiny 


340  LAND   BIRDS 

gray  mother  bird  is  brooding  the  eggs.  The  harsh  voices 
of  both  sexes  soften  to  musical  gurgles  when  they  are 
near  the  young  in  the  nest,  and  the  cruel,  bloodthirsty 
villain  of  popular  bird  lore  loses  the  fierceness  he  is  sup- 
posed to  possess.  The  young  Shrikes  inherit  the  family 
traits  of  patience  and  silence,  and  even  when  hungry, 
cuddle  down  in  unwinking  stillness,  evidently  having 
fullest  confidence  that  somehow  their  wants  will  be 
relieved. 

703 a.  WESTERN   MOCKINGBIRD.—  Mimus polyglottos 
leucopterus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Wrens,  Thrashers,  etc. 

Length:  9.00-11.00. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  plain  gray  ;  wings  and  tail  blackish  ;  wings  with 
white  patch  at  base  of  primaries  ;  wing- bars,  white-tipped  wing-quills, 
and  tertials  with  whitish  edgings  ;  under  parts  white,  tinged  with 
grayish,  more  brownish  in  autumn. 

Young:  Upper  parts  more  brownish,  back  indistinctly  streaked  or 
spotted  with  darker  ;  breast  spotted  with  dusky. 

Geographical  Distribution:  United  States  (rare  north  of  latitude  38°), 
from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  in  Lower  California. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Chiefly  in  the  San  Diegan  district,  but  also 
throughout  the  lower  Sonoran  zone  to  San  Joaquin  valley. 

Breeding  Season :  April,  May,  and  June. 

Nest:  Of  small  twigs  and  weeds  ;  lined  with  finer  material  and  some- 
times horsehair  and  cotton  ;  placed  from  6  inches  to  50  feet  high,  in 
thick  bushes,  hedges,  vines,  and  trees. 

Eggs:  4  or  5  ;  pale  bluish  or  greenish,  spotted  with  reddish  brown. 
Size  0.94  X  0.71. 

THE  Western  Mockingbird  is  to  Southern  California 
what  the  American  robin  is  to  the  Eastern  States,  —  the 
friendly  dweller  near  the  homes  of  men.  From  the  fruit 
trees  in  the  orchard,  from  the  shrubs  on  the  lawn,  from 
the  tops  of  the  house  chimneys,  he  pours  "  such  a  flood 


DUSKY,   GRAY,   AND   SLATE-COLORED    341 

of  delirious  music  that  the  woods  and  the  streams  stand 
silent  to  listen."  No  bird  has  been  oftener  written 
about.  It  would  be  difficult  to  say  anything  original 
concerning  him,  but  Mrs.  Bailey's  inimitable  description 
is  worth  quoting  : 

"The  Mocker  almost  sings  with  his  wings.  He  has  a 
pretty  trick  of  lifting  them  as  his  song -waxes,  a  gesture 
that  not  only  serves  to  show  off  the  white  wing-patches, 
but  gives  a  charming  touch  of  vivacity,  an  airy,  almost 
sublimated  fervor  to  his  love  song.  His  fine  frenzies 
often  carry  him  quite  off  his  feet.  From  his  chimney-top 
perch  he  tosses  himself  up  in  the  air  and  dances  and 
pirouettes  as  he  sings,  till  he  drops  back,  it  would  seem 
from  sheer  lack  of  breath.  He  sings  all  day,  and  often 
—  if  we  would  believe  his  audiences  —  he  sings  down 
the  chimney  all  night,  and  when  camping  in  Mockerland 
in  the  full  of  the  moon,  you  can  almost  credit  the  con- 
tention. A  Mocker  in  one  tree  pipes  up,  and  that  wakes 
his  brother  Mockers  in  other  trees,  and  when  they  have 
all  done  their  parts  every  other  sleepy  little  songster  in 
the  neighborhood  —  be  he  sparrow  or  wren  —  rouses 
enough  to  give  a  line  of  his  song." 

His  nest,  placed  often  in  the  hedgerows  bordering  the 
lawn,  is  presided  over  by  his  more  quiet  mate,  who 
broods  for  fourteen  days  on  the  mottled  blue  eggs. 
There  is  no  need  to  peek  into  the  nest  to  ascertain 
whether  those  eggs  have  hatched,  for  his  fussiness  pro- 
claims the  event  to  all  who  care  to  know.  And  now 
come  busy  days.  Both  male  and  female  Mockers  flit 
through  the  green  like  silent  shadows  hunting  insects 


342  LAND   BIRDS 

under  the  leaves,  earthworms  on  the  ground,  or  berries 
in  the  garden.  These  are  all  swallowed  first  and  de- 
livered to  the  infant  Mockers  by  regurgitation  for  the 
first  few  days,  or  until  the  babies'  eyes  open.  After  that, 
the  number  of  earthworms,  butterflies,  etc.  devoured  by 
those  nestlings  rivals  the  story  of  the  young  robins  who 
in  twelve  hours  ate  forty  per  cent  more  than  their  own 
weight.  There  seems  to  be  no  limit  to  their  appetite  and 
scarcely  any  to  their  capacity.  Even  after  they  leave  the 
nest  and  are  nearly  as  large  as  the  adults,  they  follow  the 
overworked  father  about,  begging  with  quivering  wings. 
They  are  remarkably  handsome  youngsters,  with  their 
soft  brownish  coats  and  spotted  breasts,  well  deserving 
the  care  and  pride  their  fond  parents  bestow  upon  them. 

727  a.    SLENDER-BILLED   NUTHATCH.  —  Sitta 

carolinensis  aculeata. 
FAMILY  :  The  Nuthatches  and  Tits. 

Length:  5.00-6.10. 

Adult  Male :  Top  of  head  and  nape  blue-black ;  sides  of  head  and  under 

parts  white  ;  back  bluish  slate-color ;  wings  and  tail  marked  with 

black  and  white. 

Adult  Female :  Top  of  head  bluish  gray ;  otherwise  like  male. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Western  North  America  east  through  the 

Rockies,  south  to  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range:  Transition  zone,  except  in  humid  coast  belt. 
Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 
Nest:  In  natural  cavities  of  oak  trees  or  old  woodpecker  holes;  lined 

with  moss,  short  hair,  and  feathers,  sometimes  grass. 
Eggs :  5  to  7  ;   buffy  white,   thinly  speckled  with  rusty  and   purple. 

Size  0.74  X  0.53. 

PART   way  up  the  mountain-sides,  on  the  clearings 
sparsely  covered  with  large  oak  trees  and  surrounded  by 


DUSKY,   GRAY,   AND  SLATE-COLORED    343 

heavy  timber,  the  Slender-billed  Nuthatch  makes  his 
home  through  the  long  summer  days.  When  the  winter 
storms  threaten  and  food  becomes  scarce,  he  sometimes 
works  his  way  leisurely  down  to  a  lower  altitude  where 
insect  life  is  more  easily  found,  but  usually  he  remains 
all  the  year  in  the  same  locality.  So  protective  is  the 
coloring  of  these  slate-colored  birds  that,  but  for  their 
nasal  "  yang,  zang,  henk-ah,  henk-ah "  (described  by 
Mrs.  Bailey),  they  might  pass  unnoticed  by  the  casual 
observer.  They  travel  head  downward  round  and  round 
the  trunks  of  the  oaks,  hunting  in  every  crevice  for  larvae 
and  clinging  to  the  under  side  of  the  large  limbs  as  easily 
as  if  right  side  up. 

The  pairs  remain  together  all  the  year  round,  and  their 
housekeeping  commences  early  in  the  spring  with  none 
of  the  grotesque  demonstration  so  usual  among  birds. 
Quietly  a  cavity  in  an  oak  or  a  dead  pine  is  selected  and 
filled  almost  to  the  brim  with  feathers,  fur,  short  hair, 
and  moss  by  the  united  efforts  of  both  busy  workers. 
By  May  1  the  nest  is  complete  and  the  mother  bird  has 
begun  her  cares.  She  is  a  close  sitter,  seldom  leaving 
the  nest  for  food,  but  depending  on  the  supply  brought 
by  her  mate  and  only  indulging  herself  in  a  wing-stretch- 
ing once  or  twice  a  day.  The  male  is  very  attentive, 
going  to  the  nest  so  often  that  one  wonders  when  his 
own  meals  are  eaten.  As  soon  as  the  young  are  hatched, 
which  is  twelve  days  after  sitting  begins,  the  female 
assists  in  the  search  for  food  and  comes  to  the  nest  quite 
as  often  as  the  male.  For  the  first  few  days  the  feeding 
is  by  regurgitation. 


344  LAND  BIRDS 

728.    RED-BREASTED  NUTHATCH.  —  Sitta  canadensis. 
FAMILY  :  The  Nuthatches  and  Tits. 

Length:  4.12-4.75. 

Adult  Male :.  Top  of  head  black  ;  a  white  line  over  the  eye  and  black 
Hue  through  the  eye  ;  upper  parts  bluish  slate-color ;  tail  with  white 
patches  on  outer  feathers ;  under  parts  whitish,  washed  heavily  with 
bright  red-brown. 

Adult  Female :  Entire  upper  parts  bluish  slate-color  ;  under  parts  paler 
and  duller  than  male. 

Young:  Similar  to  female,  but  duller. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Mountains  of  North  America,  south  in  win- 
ter to  Southern  United  States. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Breeds  irregularly  along  the  higher  Sierra 
Nevada  in  the  middle  and  northern  parts  of  the  State. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  In  an  old  stub,  usually  within  6  feet  of  the  ground ;  lined  with 
shredded  inner  bark  and  vegetable  fibre. 

Eggs :  4  to  8  ;  grayish  white,  sparsely  speckled  with  red-brown.  Size 
0.60  X  0.50. 

THE  Red-breasted  Nuthatch  is  the  same  familiar  slate- 
gray  bird  iu  California  that  lie  is  in  the  oak  groves  of 
Illinois  or  the  forests  of  Maine.  In  California  he  follows 
the  footsteps  of  spring  up  into  the  mountains,  and  makes 
his  nest  in  the  natural  cavities  of  dead  trees,  coming 
down  to  milder  levels  when  the  snow  flies.  Yet  he  is  a 
hardy  little  fellow  and  loves  the  cold,  and  only  the  de- 
crease of  insect  life  induces  him  to  seek  a  fatter  larder 
elsewhere.  The  nesting  habits  of  this  species  are  essen- 
tially like  those  of  the  slender-billed  nuthatch. 


DUSKY,  GRAY,  AND  SLATE-COLORED  345 


730.    PYGMY   NUTHATCH.—  Sifta pygmcea. 
FAMILY  :  The  Nuthatches  and  Tits. 

Length:  3.80-4.50. 

Adults  :  Top  of  head  olive-gray ;  nape  and  chin  white  ;  line  through  eye 

black  ;  upper  parts  bluish  slate-color  ;  under  parts  pale  grayish  buffy, 

nearly  white  on  upper  breast. 
Young:  Similar,  but  wing-coverts  edged  with  buff. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Mountainous  regions  from  British  Columbia 

south  to  Mt.  Orizaba,  Mexico  ;  from  the  Kockies  to  the  Pacific. 
California  Breeding  Range:   Local  in  Transition  zone,  chiefly  in  the 

southern  Sierra  Nevada  and  in  the  Santa  Cruz  district. 
Breeding  Season :  June. 
Nest:  In  holes  in  trees,  from  10  to  40  feet  up ;  lined  with  wool,  cattle 

hair,  and  feathers. 
Efjgs:  6  to  9;  white,  speckled  with  reddish.     Size  0.54  X  0.44. 

ABOUT  Tallac  on  Lake  Tahoe,  as  at  most  points  in  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  these  mites  in  gray  scamper  up  and  down 
tlie  tall  pine  trees,  upside  down  or  right  side  up,  as  the 
case  may  be,  —  it  is  all  one  to  them.  In  August  and 
September,  when  the  clans  gather  after  nesting  time,  the 
trees  seem  to  be  literally  alive  with  them.  Their  shrill 
"  wit-wit "  is  varied  by  a  whistled  trill,  and  when  all  the 
flock  is  calling  at  once  the  combined  noise  resembles  that 
of  a  brood  of  young  chickens.  They  move  in  crowds 
from  tree  to  tree,  running  over  the  trunks  and  branches, 
searching  every  smallest  crevice  for  bugs,  and  twittering 
a  low  sweet  monologue.  The  flocks  keep  together  all 
winter,  and  move  down  into  the  valleys  as  the  cold 
weather  comes  on  and  the  food  supply  grows  smaller. 
In  March  the  upward  migration  is  begun  again  ;  but 


346  LAND   BIRDS 

now  the  flocks  separate,  numbers  dropping  out  on  the 
way  to  nest  in  lower  altitudes,  and  by  the  time  the 
timber  line  is  reached  the  birds  are  scattered  into  small 
companies  of  three  or  four.  By  June,  nesting  sites  are 
chosen, — if,  indeed,  the  same  ones  are  not  used  each 
year, —  and  each  little  pair  is  well  settled  in  housekeep- 
ing. At  Lake  Tahoe  a  hollow  post  several  feet  out  in 
the  water  held  a  nest  of  these  gray  midgets,  the  entrance 
being  a  crevice  scarcely  large  enough  for  a  mouse.  Both 
birds  worked  busily  carrying  feathers  into  this  crevice 
until  it  seemed  there  must  be  at  least  a  peck  of  them 
tucked  away  inside.  Although  I  stood  in  a  boat  with 
hand  resting  on  the  post  not  a  foot  from  their  doorway, 
they  came  and  went  as  unconcernedly  as  if  no  one 
were  within  miles  of  them  ;  and  when  the  young  were 
hatched,  the  same  winsome  trust  was  displayed  when 
an  intruder  visited  the  nest. 

Another  nest  found,  June  1 4,  ten  feet  from  the  ground 
in  a  dead  pine  was  also  entered  through  a  crevice ;  the 
birds  displayed  the  same  fearlessness,  going  inside  with 
food,  while  the  bird-lover  stood  on  her  horse's  back 
and  tried  to  make  the  opening  large  enough  to  admit  a 
friendly  though  curious  hand.  The  brave  little  bird 
would  light  on  the  trunk  just  above  the  nest  hole,  and, 
running  quickly  down,  dodge  in  when  the  fingers  of  the 
investigator  were  pulling  at  the  crevice.  Under  such 
circumstances  only  a  hard-hearted  collector  would  per- 
sist in  bothering  the  courageous  parents.  So,  with- 
drawing to  a  short  distance,  she  kept  watch  to 
learn  what  food  was  brought  and  how  often.  Both 


DUSKY,   GRAY,   AND   SLATE-COLORED    347 


male  and  female  were  busy  hunting 
some  sort  of  white  larvae  that  they 
obtained  from  an  old  stump.  The  adults 
did  not  swallow  these,  but  carried  them 
in  their  bills,  —  which  convinced  me  that 
the  nestlings  were  at  least  five  days  old. 
For  my  own  observation  proves  that  the 
young  of  perching  birds  (as  well  as 
Macrochires  and  most  Pici)  are  fed  by 
regurgitation  for  four  or  five  days,  the 
length  of  time  varying  in  different  spe- 
cies and  depending  on  the  kind  of  food 
brought.  Birds  eating  large  insects  are 
fed  on  raw  food  sooner  than  those 
feeding  upon  minute  insect  life,  such  as 
ant  eggs,  gnats,  etc.,  and  seed-eaters  last 
of  all. 

In  the  case  of  the  Nuthatches  the 
entire  brood  left  the  nest, 
June  16,  so  that  they  must 
have   been  two  weeks   old 
when  discovered.      They 
were    fed    by    the    parents 
for   some   time    after   their 
debut,    and    most    of    the 
time    were    kept   well    up  in 
the  thick  branches  of  a  live  pine 
tree,  where  we  could  hear  but 
could  not  see  them. 


730.   PYGMY  NUTHATCH. 

Both  birds  worked  busily  carrying  feathers." 


348  LAND   BIEDS 

733.  PLAIN   TITMOUSE.  —  Bceolophus  inornaius. 
FAMILY  :  The  Nuthatches  and  Tits. 

Length:  5.00-5.60. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  olive-gray,  becoming  lighter  and  grayer  on  under 

parts  ;  belly  nearly  white. 

Young:  Upper  parts  tinged  with  rusty  brown  ;  under  parts  whitish. 
Geographical  Distribution :   Pacific  coast   west   of  the   Sierra   Js  evada, 

through  California  and  Oregon. 
California  Breeding  Range:  Oak  regions  of  upper  Sonoran  zone  west 

of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season :  March  and  April. 
Nest :  In  natural  cavities  of  dead  trees,  or  sometimes  in  old  woodpeckers' 

holes  ;  lined  with  rabbit  fur  or  feathers. 
Eggs:  6  or  8  ;  plain  white.     Size  0.64  X  0.49. 

THE  tufted  titmouse  of  the  Eastern  United  States  finds 
its  California  counterpart  in  the  Plain  Titmouse,  an  inde- 
pendent, aggressive  little  bird  found  among  the  live  oaks 
of  the  foot-hills.  He  seldom  enters  the  pine  forests, 
but  loves  the  sunny  open  slopes,  where  he  wanders 
with  small  flocks  of  others  of  his  species,  searching  for 
insect  life  in  a  very  businesslike  way  through'  the  tall 
bushes  and  oak  trees.  His  common  note  of  "  tsee-day- 
day  "  is  not  unlike  that  of  the  mountain  chickadee,  and 
occasionally  he  indulges  in  a  whistled  "  peto,  peto  "  that 
reminds  one  of  his  pretty  Eastern  cousin.  But  these  are 
only  two  of  a  variety  of  notes  the  bird  utters  under  vari- 
ous conditions. 

The  nest  of  this  species  is  usually  in  a  cavity  of  an 
oak  tree  limb,  the  entrance  being  through  a  knot  hole 
well  sheltered  from  the  rain.  To  watch  the  develop- 
ment of  the  brood  it  is  usually  necessary  to  mutilate  the 
tree,  and  so  I  have  contented  myself  with  observations 


DUSKY,    GRAY,   AND   SLATE-COLORED      349 


made  outside  the  nest.  Both  sexes  share  in  the  fun  of 
nest-building,  busily  carrying  short  hair,  feathers,  and 
wool,  and  staying  inside  long  enough  to  settle  a  much 
larger  house.  They  work  industri- 
ously for  five  or  six  days,  until  it 
seems  as  though  at  least  a  peck  of 
trash  had  been  tucked  into  the  old 
oak  tree.  Then,  after  a  day  or  so  of 
play,  the  mother  settles  down 
to  fourteen  days  of  brooding 
in  the  dark  nest  hole.  In  a 
case  which  I  recorded  she 
was  fed  by  her  mate  at  short 
intervals  during  all  this  long 
incubation,  and  many  were 
the  worms  1  saw  him  carry  to 
her.  He  never  entered  the 
nest  without  first  calling  from 
outside,  when  she  would  an- 
swer and  often  come  up  to 
the  door  to  be  fed.  We  knew 
at  once  when  the  young  had 
come  out  of  the  shells,  for 
his  exaggerated  anxiety  and 


733.    PLAIN  TITMOUSE. 


.  ' Busily  carrying  short  hair,  feathers, 

comical  airs  of  business  told  and  wool." 
his  secret.  A  listening  at  the  doorway  further  confirmed 
this  three  days  later.  He  now  scolded  at  any  approach  to 
the  nest  and  tried  to  win  our  attention  to  himself,  while 
the  female  slipped  in  and  out  with  food.  My  theory  that 
most  young  birds  are  fed  by  regurgitation  at  first  was 


350  LAND   BIRDS 

confirmed  in  this  case  by  the  fact  that,  although  I  was 
within  twelve  feet  of  the  nest  whenever  either  bird 
entered  it  during  that  first  day,  not  once  was  any  food 
visible  in  the  beak  of  cither.  After  the  fourth  day 
the  worms  and  insects  carried  were  frequently  projecting 
on  each  side  of  the  small  beak,  but  up  to  that  time  there 
had  been  none  seen,  though  a  careful  watch  was  kept 
with  both  opera  glasses  and  naked  eyes.  On  the  six- 
teenth day  one  of  the  young  appeared  in  the  doorway, 
but  dodged  back  when  I  advanced  a  cautious  hand.  He 
was  very  like  the  adults,  but  somewhat  browner  on  his 
head,  and  the  under  parts  were  clouded  with  light  and 
dark  gray.  The  crest  was  developing  finely,  and  gave 
him  a  pompous  look  in  funny  contrast  to  his  timid  man- 
ner, as  he  raised  it  in  surprise  just  before  leaving  the 
doorway.  As  my  hand  approached,  the  crest  flattened 
and  the  little  fellow  seemed  to  crouch  and  slide  down 
backward  into  the  darkness. 


738.   MOUNTAIN    CHICKADEE.  —  Penthestex  gambeli. 
FAMILY  :  The  Nuthatches  and  Tits. 

Length:  5.00-5.75. 

Adults:  Throat  and  top  of  head  black  ;  white  line  over  eye,  black  line 
through  eye  ;  sides  of  head  white ;  upper  parts  gray  ;  under  parts 
grayish  white,  becoming  dark  gray  on  sides,  washed  with  rusty. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  United  States  in  Boreal  and  Tran- 
sition zones  from  the  Rockies  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  from  British 
Columbia  to  Lower  California. 

California  Breeding  Range:  In  Transition  zone  along  the  whole  length 
of  the  Sierra  Net^da. 

Breeding  Season :  June. 


DUSKY,   GRAY,   AND  SLATE-COLORED    351 

Nest:  In  an  old  woodpecker  hole  or  natural  cavity,  2£  to  17  feet  from 

the  ground  ;  lined  with  cattle  hair,"  fur,  or  wool. 
Eggs :  5  to  9  ;  white,  sometimes  spotted  with  rusty  around  the  larger 

end.     Size  0.60  X  0.41. 

"  IT  was  a  cheery  chick-a-dee-dee  that  gave  me  my  first 
introduction  to  this  vivacious  bird  in  the  sierra,  and 
when  I  later  discovered  a  nest  hidden  securely  in  an  old 
pine  stub  deep  in  the  forest,  I  could  not  resist  the 
impression  that  here  indeed  was  contentment.  Here, 
far  from  the  habitations  of  man,  and  beside  an  aban- 
doned trail  which  had  long  since  ceased  to  re-echo  human 
footsteps,  had  settled  a  pair  of  Mountain  Chickadees. 
No  matter  how  fared  their  neighbors,  and  with  no 
time  to  gossip  with  the  shy  warblers  of  their  domain, 
these  little  birds  seemed  unconscious  of  all  else  save 
their  piny  mansion. 

"  True,  they  were  not  fastidious,  and  had  taken  up 
housekeeping  in  old  quarters ;  and  their  particular  stub, 
with  its  deep-creased  bark  and  rotten  foundation,  did 
not  differ  from  a  thousand  other  stubs  which  dotted  the 
forest.  But  this  stump,  still  capped  by  the  winter's 
snow,  was  destined  to  become  the  arena  of  intense 
activity  with  the  advent  of  spring. 

"My  first  nest  was  found  on  June  11,  1898,  as  Mr. 
L.  E.  Taylor  and  I  were  walking  along  the  stage  road. 
An  old  spruce  stub,  about  three  feet  high  and  nine 
inches  through,  stood  near  the  road,  and  a  two-inch  hole 
in  its  top  led  down  into  the  darkness.  On  scraping  the 
stub  a  series  of  hisses  came  forth  denoting  young.  We 
tore  open  one  side  of  the  stub  and  beheld  a  nest  of  nine 
young  Chickadees  ready  to  fly.  They  scrambled  up  the 


352 


LAND   BIRDS 


side  of  the  rough  wall  and  three  escaped  into  the  brush. 
In  plumage  the  young  birds  were  counterparts  of  the 
adults.  The  male  bird  was  calling  near  by ,  so  we 
patched  up  the  stub  and  continued  on  our  way. " l 

The  above  is  the  first 
part  of  an  excellent 
article  on  the  Chick- 
adee, too  long  to  be 
quoted  entirely. 

The  location  of  the 
nest  of  this  species  is 
usually  less   than   four 
feet   up ;    but  one   en- 
terprising  pair   that    I 
myself  watched  at  Mt. 
Tallac   had   chosen    a   deserted   wood- 
pecker   excavation    in    a    dead    tree, 
nearly  forty  feet  from  the  ground.     The 
location    was   that   of   the   chest- 
738.  MOUSTAW  CHICK-      nut.backed  chickadee,    but    I   am 

"The  birds  u-er  every  fear-        aS   Pos^ive  about  the  identification 

as  one  can  be  without  a  gun.     In 

the  same  grove  another  pair  occupied  a  hollow  stub  only 
two  feet  up,  and  so  frail  that  a  touch  broke  open  the  side. 
There  were  three  eggs  in  the  nest  when  discovered,  and  one 
was  added  each  day  until  there  were  seven,  when  sitting 
began.  In  fourteen  days  the  seven  small  Chickadees  had 
broken  the  shells,  and  lay  a  wriggling  mass  of  naked  bird 


1  Chester  A.  Barlow,  in  "  The  Condor,  '  1901. 


DUSKY,  GRAY,  AND  SLATE-COLORED  353 

life.  We  left  the  side  partly  open  to  watch  the  brood. 
The  birds  were  very  fearless,  and  allowed  me  to  sit  within 
a  few  feet  of  the  nest  while  the  young  were  fed.  This 
enabled  me  to  discover  that  the  nestlings  were  fed  by  re- 
gurgitation  until  four  days  old,  when  fresh  food  was  given. 
Whether  or  not  the  adult  digested  the  food  I  do  not 
know ;  but  in  every  feeding  for  the  first  four  days  the 
insects  were  carried  to  the  young  in  the  throat  of  the 
adult,  and  forced  up  when  needed,  accompanied  by  a 
large  amount  of  saliva. 

The  young  Chickadees  were  slow  in  feathering,  and 
remained  in  the  stub  nearly  three  weeks ;  then  a  sponta- 
neous exit  occurred  early  one  June  morning.  For  fully 
two  weeks  longer  the  young  were  seen  begging  to  be 
fed  by  their  indulgent  parents,  and  showed  little  dispo- 
sition to  become  self-supporting.  Their  plaintive  "dec- 
dee,  dee-dee  "  was  uttered  continuously  when  they  were 
not  asleep. 


741  a.  CALIFORNIAN    CHICKADEE.  —  Penthesles 
rufescens  neglectus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Nuthatches  and  Tits. 

Length:  4.50-5.00. 

Adults:  Similar  to  chestnut- backed  chickadee,  but  sides  and  flanks  pale 

ashy  gray,  faintly  washed  with  brownish. 
Geographical  Distribution:   Coast   region  of  California  from  Sur  River 

northward. 
Breeding  Range :  In  redwood  belt  of  coast  district,  from  Monterey  to 

Marin  County. 
Breeding  Season :  April. 


354  LAND   BIRDS 

Nest :  In  deserted  woodpecker  hole,  or  in  natural  cavity  in  stub,  from  2 
to  10  feet  from  the  ground  ;  lined  with  cow  hair,  rabbit  fur,  wool,  or 
moss. 

Eggs:  5  to  9  ;  white,  sparsely  specked  with  rusty.     Size  0.63  X  0.47. 

THE  California!!  Chickadee  is  confined  to  the  coast 
region  of  California,  and,  Mr.  Otto  Emerson  says,  can 
always  be  found  in  the  redwood  belt.  In  habits  it  is 
similar  to  the  chestnut-backed  chickadee,  nesting  rather 
higher  up  in  the  trees  than  the  mountain  variety. 


744.   LEAD-COLORED   BUSH-TIT.  —  Psaltriparus 

plumbeus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Nuthatches  and  Tits. 

Length:  4.12-4.60. 

Adults:   Upper  parts  bluish  gray;  sides  of  head  brown  ;  under  parts 

gray,  merging  to  white  on  middle  of  breast ;  belly  washed  with  light 

grayish  brown. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Rocky  Mountain  district  west  to  the  Sierra 

Nevada,  south  to  New  Mexico  and  Arizona. 
California    Breeding   Range :    Desert    ranges   southeast    of   the    Sierra 

Nevada. 

Breeding  Season :  April. 
Nest :  Pensile  ;  gourdlike  in  form  ;  of  plant  down,  white  sage  leaves, 

spider  webs,  small  bits  of  lichens  and  moss  ;  the  whole  carefully  lined 

with  small  feathers.     Entrance,  small  round  hole  in  wall  of  nest  near 

the  top.     Walls  1£  inches  thick  at  bottom,  but  |  inch  thick  at  top. 

Nest  placed  in  low  oaks  and  nut  pines,  12  to  15  feet  from  the  ground. 
Eggs:  4  ;  'white.  Size  0.53  X  0.40. 

THE  Lead-colored  Bush-tit  is  a  common  resident  of 
the  desert  ranges  southeast  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  feeding 
in  the  junipers  and  nut  pines,  and  usually  to  be  seen  in 
flocks. 

Their  constant  twittering,  though  so  faint,  reminds 
one  of  the  chatter  of  a  flock  of  English  sparrows,  and 


DUSKY,   GRAY,  AND  SLATE-COLORED     355 

the  birds  themselves,  although  so  small,  have  all  the 
independent  airs  of  that  pest.  Some  one  has  very  aptly 
described  them  as  "  balls  of  gray  down  with  a  tail  stuck 
in."  Fascinatingly  fluffy  mites  they  are,  busy  all  day 
long  with  their  own  affairs,  ridding  the  trees  of  scales, 
insect  eggs,  bark  lice,  and  many  other  injurious  forms  of 
insect  life.  They  are  constantly  in  motion,  hanging  head 
down  under  the  slender  twigs,  chickadee-fashion,  picking 
at  every  crevice  in  the  bark  and  every  fold  of  a  leaf-bud, 
if  perchance  a  bug  lie  hidden  there,  and  many  a  tree 
owes  its  good  condition  to  their  industry. 

The  nesting  habits  of  this  species  are  very  like  those  of 
the  California!!  bush-tit.  Among  the  underbrush  of  dry 
watercourses  or  on  oak-covered  hillsides  you  will  find 
their  gourd-like  nests,  usually  pensile  but  often  nestled 
among  the  thick  twigs  of  a  bunch  of  mistletoe.  Wild 
blackberry  vines,  also,  are  favorite  nesting  sites.  Wher- 
ever the  pinkish  gray  cradle  may  swing,  the  jolly  little 
housekeepers  are  friendly  and  fearless.  You  may  watch 
them  at  a  distance  of  three  or  four  yards  without  pro- 
ducing the  slightest  interruption  in  their  work.  When 
the  young  are  out  of  the  nest  and  sitting  like  wee  gray 
puff-balls  in  unwinking  silence  in  the  bushes,  the  adult 
will  feed  them  when  you  are  only  two  feet  away ;  and 
fully  fledged  young  may,*  with  infinite  patience,  be  coaxed 
to  perch  on  twigs  held  in  your  hand. 

These  queer  little  gray  elves  endure  cold  that  would 
kill  many  a  larger  bird,  and  are  as  lively  in  the  winter  as 
in  the  summer.  Almost  as  soon  as  the  last  brood  is 
reared,  they  join  the  flocks  of  their  neighbors  and  forage 


356  LAND   BIRDS 

fearlessly  through  the  fall  woods,  until  the  spring  calls 
them  to  commence  nest-building  again. 


751  a.    WESTERN    GNATCATCHER.  —  Polioptila  cceruka 
obscura. 

FAMILY  :  The  Kinglets,  Gnatcatchers,  etc. 

Length:  4.00-5.50. 

Adult  Male:    Upper  parts  dark  bluish  slate-color,  lightest  on  rump, 

bluest  on  crown.    A  blackish  line  over  eye  ;  tail  black,  outer  feathers 

edged  with  white  ;  under  parts  grayish  white. 
Adult.  Female,  and  Young :  Similar  to  male,  but  grayer ;  no  black  o.ver 

eye;  upper  parts  of  young  tinged  with  brownish. 
Geographical  Distribution:    Western  Texas,   west   through  Arizona  to 

California  and  Lower  California,  south  to  Mexico. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Locally  through  the  Sonorau  zone,  except 

tlie-huniid  coast  belt. 
Breeding  Season :  May. 
Nest:  In  bushes,  3  or  4  feet  from  the  ground ;  made  of  shreds  of  bark  ; 

lined  with  plant  fibre  and  feathers,  and  covered  with  lichen. 
Eggs:  4  or  5  ;  whitish,  wreathed  and  speckled  with  rusty  brown  and 

purplish  gray.     Size  0.57  X  0.42. 

THE  Western  Gnatcatcher  is  a  common  resident  of 
the  lower  mountain  altitudes  throughout  California,  a 
part  of  those  found  here  in  the  winter  migrating  to  more 
northerly  parts  in  the  summer  and  the  rest  remaining  to 
breed.  Mr.  Chamberlin  writes  of  this  species  in  "  The 
Condor,"  March,  1901,  as  follows:  "The  name  Gnat- 
catcher  is  misleading  as  regards  the  diet  of  this  species, 
for  I  have  repeatedly  seen  one  tackle  a  butterfly  almost 
as  large  as  himself,  and  bag  his  game  too.  I  think, 
however,  his  food  is  largely  made  up  of  the  eggs  and 
larvae  of  insects  which  are  found  on  the  under  side  of 


DUSKY,    GRAY,   AND   SLATE-COLORED     357 

leaves  and  in  the  crevices  of  bark.  Of  the  first  few 
nests  I  saw  being  built  none  were  finally  occupied  on 
their  original  sites.  One  pair  near  my  camping  place 
moved  their  nest  and  made  it  over  three  times  before 
being  satisfied  to  deposit  eggs  in  it.  Each  time  that 
the  nest  was  nearly  complete,  the  birds  would  discover 
a  more  suitable  site,  and  then  the  work  of  tearing  down 
would  begin,  and  it  would  be  moved  piecemeal  to  the 
new  place.  Very  thin  strips  of  vegetable  vellum  and 
rotten  bark-fibre  made  up  the  bulk  of  the  nest.  The 
edges  at  the  top  were  drawn  in,  making  the  diameter  of 
the  opening  less  than  that  of  the  centre  of  the  cavity. 
The  outside  was  laced  over  with  cobwebs  and  spangled 
over  with  lichens  from  the  oaks,  which  were  bound  on 
with  webs  also.  The  selection  of  lichens  varied  consid- 
erably with  the  pairs  of  birds,  some  choosing  dark  brown 
ones  with  black  backs,  while  others  were  paler  or  brighter, 
—  the  usual  nest  being  pale  green  or  silver-gray  in  color." 
Mr.  Chamberlin  does  not  record  the  incubation  or  de- 
velopment of  the  broods,  so  I  turn  to  my  own  records 
and  find  that  a  nest  discovered  in  a  low  tree  near  San 
Jose,  California,  contained  four  eggs  on  May  3.  The 
mother  was  observed  on  the  nest  at  every  visit,  and  the 
male  near  by  the  tree.  She  was  fearless  and  let  me  ap- 
proach very  near,  almost  near  enough  to  put  my  hand  on 
her.  On  May  10  the  eggs  had  hatched  and  four  skinny 
pink  nestlings,  no  larger  than  small  grasshoppers,  lay  in 
the  nest,  —  a  helpless  mass  of  wriggling  legs,  wings,  and 
necks,  ending  in  funny  knoblike  heads.  They  were  fed 
by  regurgitation  until  the  feathers  were  well  started,  and 


358  LAND   BIRDS 

•even  then  the  food  was  often  chewed  by  the  adult  before 
it  was  given  to  the  young. 

The  nest  itself  was  a  fairylike  structure,  not  much 
larger  than  that  of  the  hummingbird.  When  not  busy 
hunting  insects  for  his  brood,  the  father  flitted  through 
the  trees  with  a  happy  little  song.  It  was  a  silvery 
warble,  eminently  in  keeping  with  the  tiny  singer.  His 
note  of  protest  was  a  shrill  "  tzee,  tzee,  tzee,"  very  like 
the  call  of  the  golden-crowned  kinglet. 


753.    BLACK-TAILED   GXATCATCHER.  —  Polioptila 
californica. 

FAMILY  :  The  Kinglets,  Gnatcatchers,  etc. 

Length:  4.1,5-4.50. 

Adult  Male :  Crown  black  ;  upper  parts  dark  slate-color ;  tail  black  ; 

outer  tail-feathers  edged  with  white ;  under  parts  gray  ;  belly  washed 

with  rusty.  . 
Adult  Female :  Upper  parts  slate-color,  merging  to  black  on  tail ;  under 

parts  gray. 

Young:  Like  female,  but  tinged  with  brown. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  of  Southern  and  Lower  Cali- 
fornia. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Local  in  the  San  Diegan  district,  northwest 

to  Ventura. 

Breeding  Season:  March,  April,  and  May. 
Nest:  A  compact,  cup-shaped  structure  ;  of  vegetable  fibre,  sage  leaves, 

plant  down,  and  spider  webs,  lined  with  plant  down  and  feathers. 

Placed  near  the  ground  in  weeds,  low  bushes,  or  cactuses. 
Eggs:  4;  pale  pea-green,  thickly  speckled  with  brownish  red  or  rnsty. 

Size  0.50  X  0.45. 

ALTHOUGH  this  Gnatcatcher  is  a  common  resident  in 
most  parts  of  Southern  California,  its  nesting  habits  are 
more  or  less  difficult  to  observe.  Only  one  nest  of  this 
species  has  ever  come  under  my  observation,  and  that 


DUSKY,   GRAY,   AND   SLATE-COLORED    359 

was  snugly  woven  in  a  low  bush  at  San  Diego.  At  first 
view  it  was  difficult  not  to  believe  it  the  nest  of  the 
American  redstart  of  the  Eastern  States,  but  closer  exam- 
ination revealed  a  wideness  at  the  base  and  ornamentation 
of  tiny  curled  sage-leaves  and  bits  of  lichen  bound  on 
with  spider  webs.  It  contained,  May  10,  four  nestlings 
so  nearly  ready  to  fly  that 
an  attempt  to  investigate 
resulted  in  the  sudden  de- 
parture of  the  four  in  dif- 
ferent directions.  Although 
the  flight  of  each  was 
short,  quick,  and  flutter- 
ing, every  one  of  them 
succeeded  in  getting  out 
of  sight  among  the  thick 
green,  and  search  re- 
vealed but  one  of  the 
four.  He  was  a  bewitching 
little  gray  ball  of  feathers, 
with  just  a  promise  of  the  753.  BLACK-TAILEP  GNATCATCHER. 

tail    that    should    give    him      ^He  was  a  twitching  little  gray  ball  of 

his  name.    During  the  hour 

that  we  were  able  to  watch  him,  he  was  fed  seven  times 
by  the  male,  the  food  brought  being  small  flies  and  green 
worms.  The  female  was  evidently  with  the  rest  of  the 
brood,  for  she  did  not  appear.  The  male  seemed  to  have 
no  fear  of  us,  and  came  each  time  with  a  little  challeng- 
ing note  as  if  he  were  tempted  to  drive  us  away.  A  mock- 
ingbird, who  came  near  by  to  drink,  was  fiercely  attacked 
and  driven  away  by  the  plucky  mite,  single-handed. 


360  LAND   BIRDS 


PLUMAGE    CONSPICUOUSLY   BLACK   AND   "WHITE 

393  e.     HARRIS  WOODPECKER.  —  Drgobates  villosus 
karrisi. 

FAMILY  :  The  Woodpeckers. 

Length:  9.00-10.00. 

Adult  Male :  Nape  scarlet ;  tipper  parts  black,  white  stripe  down  the 

middle  of  the  back  ;  wing-coverts  lightly  spotted  with  white ;  outer 

primaries  with  white  spots  ;  outer  tail-feathers  white  ;  under  parts 

uniform  gray,  or  pale  grayish  brown. 
Adult  Female :  Similar,  but  with  no  scarlet. 

Young:  lake  adult,  but  forehead  spotted  with  white,  and  crown  scarlet. 
Geographical  Distribution:   Pacific  coast  from  Alaska  south  in  winter  as 

far  as  Monterey. 
Breeding  Range :  In  California,  only  the  extreme  northern  part  of  the 

humid  coast  belt. 

Breeding  Sen  son:  April  15  to  June  15. 
Nest :  An  excavation  in  a  dead  tree. 
E-JIJS:  4  to  5  ;  glossy  white.     Size  0.98  X  0.70. 

THE  breeding  range  of  this  species,  according  to  Major 
Bendire,  is  very  limited  and  is  co-extensive  with  its  geo- 
graphical distribution.  It  is  a  bird  of  the  humid  coast, 
Transition,  and  Canadian  zones,  only  remaining  resident 
in  the  northern  part  of  California  as  far  south  as  Huiu- 
boldt  Bay.  In  winter  it  wanders  to  Monterey  along  the 
humid  coast  belt.  It  corresponds  in  general  habits  to 
the  hairy  woodpecker  of  the  north  and  east,  which  rids 
our  orchards  and  forests  of  innumerable  injurious  larvse, 
such  as  those  of  the  boring  beetle,  etc.  The  food  of  the 
Harris  consists  of  spiders,  ants,  other  insects,  and  cocoons, 
besides  larvse,  and  sometimes  acorns  and  seeds. 

It  is  one  of  the  earliest  of  the  woodpeckers  to  breed, 
the  nest  being  completed  in  an  old  stump  or  dead  tree 
as  early  as  April.  The  nesting  habits  are  described  as 


CONSPICUOUSLY   BLACK   AND   WHITE    361 

identical  with  those  of  the  hairy  woodpecker  ;  in  the 
case  of  the  latter,  incubation  lasts  two  weeks,  the  young 
remaining  in  the  nest  three  to  four  weeks.  Like  all 
young  woodpeckers,  the  nestlings  are  fed  by  regurgita- 
tion  while  in  the  nest,  and  are  dependent  on  the  parents 
for  several  weeks  after  leaving  it. 


393  d.    CABANIS    WOODPECKER.  —  Dryobates  villosus 
hyloscopus. 

•  FAMILY  :  The  Woodpeckers. 

Somewhat  smaller  than  the  Harris  woodpecker,  and  under  parts  white 

instead  of  gray  ;  otherwise  exactly  like  the  Harris. 
Geographical  .Distribution :  Southwestern  United  States. 
Breeding  Range:  In  California  in  suitable  localities  almost  throughout 

the  State,  but  chiefly  south  and  east  of  the  north  humid  coast  belt. 
Breeding  Season :  March,  April,  and  May. 

Nest:  An  excavation  in  a  tree,  usually  12  to  18  feet  from  the  ground. 
Egtjs:  3  to  6;  glossy  white.     Size  0.96  X  0.70. 

IT  would  be  easy  for  a  beginner  to  confuse  this  species 
with  the  Harris,  and  especial  care  must  be  taken  in 
noting  size,  under  parts,  and  range,  for  the  Cabanis  is 
rarely  met  with  in  the  humid  coast  district. 

Breeding  in  the  mountains  south  and  east  of  the  coast 
belt,  it  occasionally  wanders  down  to  the  valleys  in  mid- 
winter, probably  seeking  better  food  supplies.  It  is  one 
of  the  earliest  to  commence  nesting,  fresh  eggs  having 
been  taken  near  San  Bernardino  late  in  March.  The 
long  breeding  season  recorded  in  one  locality  indicates 
that  two  broods  are  raised.  When  brooding,  it  is  rather 
fearless,  devoted  to  nest  and  young,  and  refusing  to  leave 
until  driven  away.  Then  both  adults  remain  near  the 


362 


LAND   BIRDS 


collector,  uttering  cries  of  distress,  scolding,  and  doing  all 
that  helpless  birds  can  do  for  the  protection  of  their 
young. 

Like  the  Harris,  the  Cabanis  is  noisy,  particularly  dur- 
ing the  mating  season,  when  its  loud  drumming  and  its 
"  kick-kick,   whitoo,  whitoo, 
wit-wi-wi  "  may  be  heard  all 
day  long   in   the   deep  pine 
woods. 

Both    sexes    share 
the  labors  of  excavat- 
ing,   brooding    the 
eggs,  and  feeding  the 
young.      Incubation 
lasts  about  fifteen  days,  and 
the    young    remain    nearly 
four  weeks  in  the  nest,  be- 
ing fed  most  of  that  time 
by  regurgitation.     After 
leaving  they  are  fed  by  the 
parents    for    at    least    two 
weeks,  and   usually   return 
to    the    nest    at    night    to 


393d.   CABANIS 
WOODPECKER. 


\ 


"Both  sexes  share  the 
labors  of  excavating." 


Although  the  usual  height 
of  the  excavation  is  from  twelve  to  eighteen  feet  from 
the  ground,  Major  Bendire  records  one  as  low  as  three 
feet  and  another  as  high  as  fifty  feet. 

The  food  of  the  Cabanis  woodpeckers  consists  of  larvae 
and  eggs  of  insects,  berries,  seeds,  pinon  nuts,  pine  seeds, 


CONSPICUOUSLY   BLACK   AND  WHITE      363 

and  acorns.  Major  Bendire  says  he  has  often  seen  them 
pecking  at  haunches  of  venison  hung  in  the  open  air,  and 
picking  up  bits  of  fat  around  slaughter  houses. 


394 a.    GAIRDNER   WOODPECKER.  —  Dryobates 
pubescens  gairdneri. 

FAMILY  :  The  Woodpeckers. 

Length:  6.00-7.00. 

Adult  Male :  Forehead  and  stripe  down  the  back  white ;  nape  scarlet ; 
upper  parts  black  ;  wing-coverts  lightly  spotted  with  white  ;  outer 
tail-feathers  white,  barred  with  black  ;  under  parts  gray. 

Adult  Female :  Like  male,  but  no  scarlet  on  nape. 

Young :  Like  male,  but  crown  scarlet. 

Geographical  Distribution :  From  British  Columbia  to  Southern  Califor- 
nia, east  beyond  the  eastern  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 

Breeding  Range :  Suitable  localities  as  far  south  as  Santa  Cruz. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest:  From  4  to  20  feet  above  the  ground,  in  old  stumps  and  dead  trees. 

Eggs:  4  or  5  ;  glossy  white.     Size  0.77  X  0.58. 

THE  Gairdner  Woodpecker  is  the  Western  representa- 
tive of  the  downy  woodpecker  of  the  Eastern  States. 
An  attempt  has  been  made  to  divide  this  subspecies, 
restricting  the  California  range  of  the  Gairdner  to  Del 
Norte  and  Siskiyou  counties,  and  calling  the  species 
"  Willow  Woodpecker  "  south  of  that  locality.  But  in 
accordance  with  Mrs.  Bailey's  "  Hand  Book,"  we  shall 
consider  the  Gairdner  Woodpecker  to  have  a  range 
"  from  British  Columbia  to  Southern  California."  The 
willow  woodpecker  differs  from  the  Gairdner  in  being  a 
trifle  smaller,  with  lighter  under  parts  and  spotted  ter- 
tials.  (See  Handbook  of  Birds  of  Western  United 
States.) 


364  LAND   BIRDS 

It  is  usually  resident  —  and  probably  breeds  —  wher- 
ever found,  although  not  very  numerous  in  any  one 
locality.  Its  nesting  site  is  usually  in  deciduous  trees, 
at  a  distance  from  four  to  twenty  feet  from  the  ground. 
The  entrance  hole  is  round,  about  an  inch  and  a  half  in 
diameter ;  and  the  cavity  excavated  is  from  six  to  nine 
inches  deep.  Both  male  and  female  share  in  the  work  of 
excavating,  and  after  the  nest  is  finished,  the  male  some- 
times prepares  a  shallower  one  for  himself  in  the  same 
tree.  Nesting  begins  as  early  as  the  middle  of  April  in 
Southern  California,  and  four  weeks  later  in  Sacramento 
County.  Four  to  five  glossy  white  eggs  are  laid,  and 
for  fourteen  days  both  male  and  female  share  the  cares 
of  incubation.  After  the  young  are  grown,  they  separate 
from  the  parents  as  soon  as  they  can  feed  themselves, 
preparing  shallow  excavations  for  their  own  shelter  in 
dead  trees  or  rotting  fence  posts.  Here  they  spend  not 
only  the  nights  but  the  stormy  days  of  winter  as  well, 
feeding  upon  the  larvae  of  insects  in  the  bark. 

The  call-notes  of  the  Gairdner  vary,  being  a  low 
"  pshir,  pshir,"  when  searching  for  food  ;  a  "  tchee-tchee- 
tchee,"  rapidly  repeated,  which  is  its  commonest  call ; 
and  a  soft  "kick-kick"  uttered  in  the  mating  season. 

397.   NUTTALL  WOODPECKER.  —  Dryobates  nuttalli. 
FAMILY  :  The  Woodpeckers. 

Length:  7.00. 

Adult  Male:  Crown  black,  sometimes  streaked  with  white  ;  occiput  scar- 
let ;  hind-neck  white  ;  upper  parts  barred  black  and  white  ;  middle 
tail-feathers  black  ;  outer  tail-feathers  barred  black  and  white  ;  under 
parts  white,  spotted  with  black  on  sides. 


CONSPICUOUSLY   BLACK   AND   WHITE      365 

Adult  Female:  Like  male,  but  with  no  scarlet  on  head. 

Young :  Like  male,  but  nape  black  and  crown  red  ;  under  parts  barred 

with  black. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Southern  Oregon  and  California  in  Upper 

Sonoran  zone,  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  east  of  the  humid  coast 

belt. 

breeding  Range :  Same  as  Geographical  Distribution. 
Breeding  Season:  April  and  May. 

Nest :  In  dead  branches  or  beneath  the  bark  of  stumps. 
Eggs:  3  to  6  ;  white.     Size  0.94  X  0.69. 

THE  Nuttall  Woodpecker  breeds  west  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada  throughout  the  greater  portion  of  California, 
being  most  abundant  in  the  southern  part  of  its  range. 
In  nesting  it  prefers  the  oak  trees,  digging  a  cavity  eight 
inches  deep,  about  twenty  feet  from  the  ground.  Mr. 
Beck,  of  Berryessa,  California,  records  it  as  breeding  in 
the  mountains  east  of  Santa  Clara  County,  and  in  one 
instance  occupying  a  limb  in  a  sycamore  tree  where  a 
pair  of  red-shafted  flickers  had  their  nest.  Occasionally 
it  chooses  elders,  willows,  and  giant  cactuses.  Nesting 
commences  early  in  April,  and  after  the  pearly  white  eggs 
are  laid  both  adults  share  in  the  incubation,  which  lasts 
fourteen  days.  The  young  remain  in  the  nest  three  to 
four  weeks,  and  after  leaving  return  each  night  to  sleep 
in  it.  Both  parents  defend  their  nest  and  young  with 
great  courage,  the  mother  sometimes  allowing  herself  to 
be  taken  on  the  nest  rather  than  leave  it.  Their  food 
consists  of  insects,  larvae,  berries,  and  fruit. 

The  call  of  the  Nuttall  Woodpecker  is  described  as  a 
series  of  loud  rattling  notes  entirely  unlike  those  of  any 
other  woodpecker.  In  habits  it  resembles  Gardner's 
woodpecker  ;  but  its  choice  of  locality  is  quite  different, 
as  it  prefers  a  higher  altitude  and  is  seldom  found  along 
streams. 


LAND   BIRDS 


399.    WHITE-HEADED     WOODPECKER.  —  Xenopicus 
albolarvatus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Woodpeckers. 

Length:  8.90-9.40. 

Adult  Male :  Head,  neck,  upper  part  of  chest,  and  patch  on  the  wing, 

white  ;  nape  bright  scarlet  ;  rest  of  plumage  black. 
Adult  Female :  Similar  to  male,  but  with  no  scarlet. 
Young :  Similar  to  male,  but  scarlet  on  crown  instead  of  on  nape. 
Geographical  Distribution:   Mountains  of  the   Pacific  coast,  including 

both  slopes   of  the  Sierra   Nevada,  from    Washington   to   Southern 

California. 
Breeding  Range :  The  Sierra  Nevada  and  Cuyamaca  mountains  to  lit. 

Shasta. 

Breeding  Season :  May. 

Nest:  4  to  18  feet  from  the  ground,  in  stumps. 
Eggs:  4  to  7  ;  crystalline  white.     Size  0.96  X  0.75. 

THE  range  of  the  White-headed  Woodpecker  in  Cali- 
fornia is  restricted  to  higher  mountain  ranges  from  Ore- 
gon to  Southern  California.  It  is  common  in  the  fir 
forests  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  from  four  thousand  feet 
nearly  to  the  summit,  seldom  descending  to  a  lower 
altitude  than  three  thousand  feet.  His  conspicuous 
white  head  makes  him  recognized  by  the  veriest  tyro 
in  bird  lore.  One  would  suppose  this  feature  would 
make  him  an  easy  mark  for  hunters,  but  in  reality 
there  is  an  effect  of  protective  coloring  in  the  very 
sharpness  of  the  contrasting  black  and  white,  —  the 
one  standing  out  so  strongly  in  the  light  as  to  make 
the  other  seem  part  of  the  shadow  and  not  of  the  bird. 

This  is  emphatically  a  silent  bird,  particularly  in  the 
winter.  Even  during  the  breeding  season  in  the  Sierra 
Nevada,  I  have  never  heard  it  utter  more  than  a  sharp 


CONSPICUOUSLY   BLACK   AND   WHITE      367 


"  hitt-hitt "  as  it  chases  its  mate  through  the  wood.  The 
nest  is  usually  in  a  dead  pine  or  fir,  seldom  higher  than 
twelve  feet  from  the  ground.  The  entrance  is  round, 
about  one  and  a  half  inches  in  diameter, 
and  the  interior  is  from  eight  to  thirteen 
inches  deep.  From  four  to  seven  white 
eggs  are  laid  on  a  thin  lining  of  sawdust 
made  by  the  excavating.  Both 
male  and  female  brood  during  the 
fourteen  days  required  for  incuba- 
tion. The  young  are  fed  by  re- 
gurgitation  at  first,  and  afterwards 
upon  the  large  black  ants  so  nu- 
merous in  all  the  dead  pine  stumps. 
They  remain  in  the  nest  nearly 
four  weeks  and,  for  at  least  ten 
days  after  leaving  it,  are  fed  and 
cared  for  by  both  parents,  returning 
to  the  old  nursery  to  sleep  at  night 
while  the  adults  remain  on  guard 
outside. 

Dr.  Merrill,  U.  S.  A.,  has  studied 
the  habits  of  this  bird  thoroughly, 
and  written  of  it  as  follows :  "  I  have 
rarely  heard  this  Woodpecker  ham- 
mer, and  even  tapping  is  rather  un- 
common. So  far  as  I  have  observed, 
—  and  during  the  winter  I  watched  it  carefully,  —  its 
principal  supply  of  food  is  obtained  in  the  bark,  most  of  the 
pines  having  a  very  rough  bark,  scaly  and  deeply  fissured. 


399.   WHITE-HEADED 
WOODPECKER. 

"  Where  the  bark  -is  thick- 
est and  roughest." 


S68  LAND   BIRDS 

The  bird  uses  its  bill  as  a  crowbar,  rather  than  as  a  hammer 
or  chisel,  prying  off  the  successive  scales  and  layers  of  bark 
in  a  very  characteristic  way.  This  explains  the  fact  of 
its  being  such  a  quiet  worker,  and,  as  would  be  expected, 
it  is  most  often  seen  near  the  base  of  the  tree,  where  the 
bark  is  thickest  and  roughest.  It  must  destroy  immense 
numbers  of  Scaly  tidce,  whose  larvae  tunnel  the  bark  so 
extensively,  and  of  other  insects  that  crawl  beneath  the 
scales  of  bark  for  shelter." 

400.  ARCTIC   THREE-TOED  WOODPECKER. 

Picoides  arcticus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Woodpeckers. 

Length:  9.00-10.00. 

Foot  with  three  toes,  two  pointing  forward  and  one  backward. 
Adult  Male:  Crown  patch  yellow  ;  upper  parts  iridescent  bluish  black  ; 

wings  finely  spotted  with  white ;  outer  tail-feathers  white  ;   under 

parts  white;  sides  barred  with  black;  forehead  and  sides  of  he  id 

black  and  white. 

Adult  Female:  Like  male,  but  without  yellow  on  crown. 
Young:  Like  adult,  but  crown  patch  smaller;  under  parts  brownish; 

upper  parts  dull  black. 
Geographical  Distribution :   Northern   North  America  from  the  arctic 

regions  through  the  Northern  United  States. 
California  Breeding  Range :  In  the  Sierra  Nevada  as  far  south  as  Lake 

Tahoe. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  Usually  in  dead  trees,  8  to  10  feet  from  the  ground. 
Eggs:  3  to  4  ;  white.     Size  0.95  X  0.71. 

"  THE  Arctic  Three-toed  Woodpecker  is  essentially  a 
bird  of  the  pine,  spruce,  fir,  and  tamarack  forests,  and 
is  rarely  seen  in  other  localities.  It  is  generally  a  resi- 
dent, rarely  migrating  to  any  distance,  and  probably 
breeds  wherever  found.  ...  Its  sharp  shrill '  chirk,  chirk ' 


CONSPICUOUSLY   BLACK   AND  WHITE      369 

can  be  heard  in  all  directions.  It  seems  to  feed  entirely 
on  such  wood  worms  as  attack  spruce,  pine,  and  other 
soft-wood  timber  that  has  been  fire-killed.  It  never 
attacks  a  healthy  tree,  and  is  far  more  beneficial  than 
harmful.  .  .  .  Like  the  hairy  woodpecker,  they  are  per- 
sistent drummers,  rattling  away  for  minutes  at  a  time  on 
some  dead  limb,  and  are  especially  active  during  the 
mating  season  in  April.  I  have  located  more  than  one 
specimen  by  following  the  sound  when  it  was  half  a 
mile  away.  .  .  .  May  10  I  found  a  male  busily  at  work 
on  a  pine  stump  only  two  and  a  half  feet  high  and 
eighteen  inches  in  diameter,  standing  within  a  few  feet 
of  the  road,  and  close  to  a  charcoal-burner's  camp.  On 
May  25  the  cavity  was  found  to  be  eighteen  inches  deep 
and  was  gradually  enlarged  toward  the  bottom.  The 
four  eggs  it  contained  had  been  incubated  four  days. 
The  female  was  on  the  nest,  and  uttered  a  hissing  sound 
as  she  left  it,  and  might  easily  have  been  caught,  as  she 
remained  in  the  hole  until  the  stump  was  struck  with 
a  hatchet."  1 

Incubation  lasts  two  weeks,  and  the  young  remain  in 
the  nest  four  to  five  weeks  according  to  early  or  late 
hatching.  They  are  fed  by  regurgitation  for  the  first 
nine  days  and  possibly  longer,  but  adults  have  been  seen 
carrying  insects  to  the  nest  on  the  fifteenth  day.  When 
alighting  with  food  the  adult  gives  a  low  cooing  call  and 
is  answered  by  a  hissing  clatter  from  the  young  that  can 
be  heard  at  some  distance  from  the  nest  tree. 

Where  this  bird  occurs  in  California  the  local  orni- 

1  Bendire. 
24 


370  LAND  BIRDS 

thologists  have  made  it  a  subspecies  of  the  Arctic  Three- 
toed  and  call  it  Picoides  arcticus  tenuirostris,  or  Sierra 
Three-toed  Woodpecker.  It  is  like  the  Arctic  in  color 
and  habits,  but  has  a  more  slender  bill.  It  is  found  in 
the  northern  Sierra  Nevada  as  far  south  as  Lake  Tahoe. 


404.   WILLIAMSON   SAPSUCKER.  —  Sphyrapicus 
thyroideus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Woodpeckers. 

Length:  9.00-9.75. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts,  throat,  and  breast  black ;  throat  with  a  me- 
dian stripe  of  bright  red  ;  rump  and  patch  on  wing-coverts  white  ; 

quills  finely  spotted  with  white ;  sides  of  head  striped  with  white  ; 

belly  yellow. 
Adult  Female:   Body  barred  with  brown  or  black  and  white;  rump 

white ;  head  plain  brown ;  chest  with  black  patch ;  middle  of  belly 

yellow. 
Geographical  Distribution:   Western   United   States,   from   the   Rocky 

Mountains  to  the  western  slope  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  ;  winters  in 

Southern  California. 
California  Breeding  Range:  Along  the  Sierra  Nevada  from  Shasta  to 

the  San  Jacinto  mountains. 
Breeding  Season:  May  15  to  July  1. 
Nest :  In  large  dead  pines,  5  to  60  feet  from  the  ground. 
Eggs:  5  or  6  ;  pure  white.     Size  0.97  X  0.67. 

So  unlike  are  the  male  and  the  female  of  this  Wood 
pecker  that  for  a  long  time  they  were  listed  as  different 
species  by  ornithologists.  The  general  effect  of  the 
male's  coloring  is  black,  that  of  the  female  brown  ;  and 
unless  one  is  forewarned  or  experienced,  he  is  apt  even 
now  to  look  for  another  name  when  he  first  sees  the 
female. 

They  nest  commonly  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  near  Lake 


CONSPICUOUSLY   BLACK   AND   WHITE      371 

Tahoe  and  are  not  at  all  difficult  to  watch.  The  site 
chosen  for  a  nest  is  oftenest  in  the  sheltered  woods, 
'where  they  excavate  in  the  trunk  of  a  dead  tree.  One 
that  I  watched  was  situated  about  ten  feet  from  the 
ground;  standing  on  my  saddled  horse,  I  could  reach 
into  it  but  for  one  obstacle,  —  the  relative  size  of  the 
door  and  my  hand.  I  was  unwilling  to  cut  away  the 
wood  about  the  door,  so  contented  myself  with  observ- 
ing from  a  distance  of  fifteen  feet.  The  father  bird  was 
especially  fearless,  and  sat  most  of  the  time  on  the  top  of 
the  nest  tree,  where  he  drummed  occasionally  to  reassure 
his  mate  in  the  nest.  When  I  tried  to  put  my  hand  into 
the  cavity,  both  birds  came  within  six  feet  of  me,  utter- 
ing low  angry  calls,  and  before  I  had  fairly  reseated  my- 
self in  the  saddle,  the  male  had  entered  the  nest.  I 
could  hear  him  reassuring  the  young,  which  all  this  time 
had  kept  up  a  tremendous  hissing,  after  the  manner  of 
all  birds  born  in  hollow  trees.  As  I  sat  there  just  far 
enough  away  to  see  well  what  was  going  on,  both 
parents  brought  insects  to  the  nestlings  every  ten  min- 
utes. These  were  usually  butterflies,  grasshoppers,  or 
dragonflies ;  but  the  male  frequently  picked  up  the  large 
ants  that  swarmed  over  a  log  I  had  broken  open,  and 
carried  them  to  the  nest.  He  was  much  more  fearless 
than  the  female,  —  a  trait  so  rare  among  birds  that  it 
deserves  especial  mention. 

In  the  same  tree  with  this  nest  of  the  Williamson 
Sapsuckers  there  were  a  nest  of  the  pygmy  nuthatches 
on  the  other  side  of  the  tree  and  another  of  a  bluebird 
a  little  lower  down.  The  nuthatches  were,  if  possible, 


372  LAND   BIRDS 

even  more  courageous  than  the  Sapsuckers,  but  the  blue- 
birds flew  far  away. 

The  young  Sapsuckers  must  have  been  fledged  when 
I  discovered  the  nest,  June  10 ;  for  on  the  twelfth  they 
came  out  of  the  nursery  and  flew  away  with  their  brown 
mother  and  black  and  white  father  into  the  deeper  woods, 
where  I  lost  sight  of  them.  A  plummet  dropped  into 
the  nest  hole  told  me  it  was  nine  inches  deep.  It  was 
on  the  sunny  south  side  of  the  tree,  and  several  degrees 
hotter  inside  than  the  surrounding  atmosphere.  As  is 
always  the  case  with  woodpeckers,  every  bit  of  excre- 
ment had  been  carried  away  while  fresh  by  the  parent, 
and  the  nest  was  as  clean  as  if  freshly  excavated. 


405  a.  NORTHERN    PILEATED   WOODPECKER. 

Phlacotomtis  pileatus  abieticola. 

(Common  Names  :  Cock  of  the  Woods  ;  Log  Cock.) 
FAMILY  :  The  Woodpeckers. 

Length:  16.00-19.00. 

Adult  Male:  Head  conspicuously  crested  ;  bill  longer  than  head;  top  of 
head,  crest,  and  malar  stri[>e  scarlet ;  chin  and  side  of  head  pale 
lemon-color  or  white  ;  a  white  patch  on  the  wings  ;  under  wing- 
coverts  white ;  rest  of  plumage  dull  brownish  black  ;  feathers  of 
belly  tipped  with  ashy. 

Adult  Female :  Like  male,  but  crown  and  malar  stripe  brown  instead 
of  red. 

Young :  Crest  salmon-colored,  otherwise  like  female. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Heavily  wooded  districts  of  North  America, 
from  the  Southern  Allcghanies  north  to  latitude  63°,  west  to  the 
Pacific  (Bailey). 

California  Breeding  Range  :  Timbered  areas  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada  as  far  south  as  King's  River  Canon  and  Eel  River. 

Breeding  Season  :  May  and  Juue. 


CONSPICUOUSLY   BLACK   AND  WHITE      373 

Nist :  Hole  excavated  in  the  trunk  of  a  large  dead  tree,  from  20  to  75 

feet  from  the  ground. 
E<jgs:  3  to  5  ;  white.     Size  1.40  X  0.99. 

THROUGHOUT  the  northern  part  of  California  in  the 
forests  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  the  handsome  Pileated 
Woodpecker  may  be  frequently  heard,  occasionally  seen, 
but  never  watched  unless  you  are  going  to  live  in  his 
haunts  months  at  a  time  for  the  especial  purpose  of  mak- 
ing friends  with  him.  But  in  the  Yosemite  Valley  he  is 
the  most  conspicuous  of  all  the  birds,  as  well  as  one  of 
the  least  shy.  With  slight  trouble  you  may  find  the 
location  of  his  nest  in  a  tall  live  cedar  fifty  feet  from  the 
ground,  and  watch  the  pair  as  they  care  for  their  young. 
Here  the  mating  season  commences  about  the  first  of 
May,  incubation  lasts  eighteen  days,  and  the  young  re- 
main in  the  nest  nearly  six  weeks.  It  is  not  uncommon 
to  find  these  nestlings  still  in  the  nursery  the  first  week 
in  July  in  the  Yosemite  forests.  The  parents  are  very 
devoted  to  their  treasures  whether  they  be  eggs  or  in- 
fant Woodpeckers,  and  the  male  rarely  fails  to  stand  on 
guard  on  a  high  perch  ready  to  warn  and  defend  should 
possible  danger  threaten.  The  method  of  feeding  is  like 
that  of  the  flickers,  by  regurgitation  for  the  first  two 
weeks  or  longer.  The  adult  comes  with  gular  pouch 
full  of  food  and  alights  at  one  side  of  the  nest  hole  to 
rest  a  moment.  Though  he  may  have  come  noiselessly 
and  from  the  other  side  of  the  tree,  yet  his  approach  is 
always  heralded  by  a  mowing-machine  chorus  from  the 
young,  plainly  heard  some  yards  away.  If  old  enough, 
the  queer-looking  little  heads  are  thrust  out  of  the  door- 


374 


LAND  BIRDS 


way,  and  the  parent,  inserting  his  long  bill  into  the  open 
mouth  of  a  youngling,  shakes  it  vigorously,  thereby  emp- 
tying the  food  from  his  throat  into  that  of  his  offspring. 
Each  in  turn  is  fed  in  this  odd  fashion. 

The  newly  hatched  Pileated  Woodpeckers  are  even 
homelier  than  young  flickers.  They  have  the  same  ball- 
shaped  body  with  long,  help- 
lessly weak  legs  set  very  far 
back  on  it,  and  two  long 
appendages  that  look  like  fat 
earthworms  rather  than 
like  wings.  Their  in- 


405  a.  NORTHERN 
PILEATED  WOOD- 
PECKER. 


"After  a  few  trials  he 
learns  to  hammer  right 
merrily." 


ordinately 
long  necks 
end  in  a  giraffe- 
like  head  with 
sightless  eyes, 
large  ear-holes, 
and  a  grotesque  bill  in  which  the  lower  mandible  pro- 
jects beyond  the  upper.  They  roll  helplessly  about, 
unable  to  squat  on  account  of  their  round  bodies,  and 
unable  to  steady  themselves  with  either  their  legs  or 
wings ;  their  chief  means  of  support  being  the  neck, 
which  braces  itself  by  the  head  as  well  as  it  may. 

If  a  finger  be  offered  to  their  open  mouths,  they  swal- 
low two  inches  of  it,  eagerly  sucking  on  it  with  surprising 
strength. 


CONSPICUOUSLY  BLACK   AND  WHITE      375 

While  you  have  been  examining  the  young,  —  which, 
if  you  are  a  woman,  must  be  lowered  to  you,  — the 
parents  have  ceased  to  protest  and  are  watching  you  in 
silence  from  behind  a  tree  trunk  a  hundred  feet  or  so 
away.  After  you  have  replaced  the  nestlings  and  left 
the  immediate  vicinity,  the  adult  birds  will  wait  an 
hour  or  more  before  they  come  back  to  investigate  the 
damage,  and  then  it  is  the  mother  who  finally  ventures 
into  the  molested  home  to  brood  again,  while  the  "  Cock 
of  the  Woods  "  watches,  as  before,  from  a  neighboring 
tree. 

For  a  week  or  two  after  the  young  have  left  the  nest, 
they  follow  their  parents  begging  for  food  with  ludicrous 
eagerness ;  at  this  time  the  provender  brought  them  con- 
sists of  nuts,  berries,  ants,  and  the  larvae  of  beetles. 
These,  especially  the  nuts,  are  often  placed  in  a  crevice 
of  the  bark,  and  the  youngster  is  compelled  to  pick 
them  out.  After  a  few  trials  he  learns  to  hammer  right 
merrily  and  is  ready  to  forage  for  himself.  Unlike  other 
woodpeckers,  but  like  the  flickers  again,  the  Pileated  is 
often  seen  eating  ants  on  the  ground  or  on  a  log ;  hence 
his  name  of  "  Log  Cock." 

The  call-notes  of  the  Pileated  Woodpecker  are  very 
like  those  of  the  flicker,  but  louder  and  flatter  in  tone, 
"  kac-kac-kac-kac  "  and  "  wucker-wucker-wucker  "  being 
the  most  common.  When  the  bird  is  much  excited,  the 
note  is  a  modification  of  both  a  loud  and  harsh  "  hiker- 
hiker  "  rapidly  repeated.  As  it  excavates  a  new  nest  every 
year,  there  are  often  fresh  chips  at  the  foot  of  the  nest 
tree  to  the  amount  of  two  or  three  quarts.  The  cavity 


376  LAND   BIRDS 

is  from  seven  to  thirty  inches  deep  and  about  six  inches 
wide  at  the  bottom,  unlined  save  for  a  small  amount  of 
chip-like  sawdust.  Like  that  of  the  flicker's  nest,  the 
doorway  is  quite  as  apt  to  be  oval  as  round,  and  is  from 
three  to  four  inches  in  diameter.  The  eggs  are  from 
three  to  five,  glossy,  transparent  white,  and  become 
opaque  as  incubation  advances. 

407  a.   CALIFORNIAN    WOODPECKER.  —  Melanerpes 

formicivorus  bairdi. 
FAMILY  :  The  Woodpeckers. 

Length:  8.50-9.50. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts,  sides  of  head  and  chest  iridescent  black  ; 

chest  streaked  with  white  ;  crown  red  ;  feathers  around  base  of  bill 

black,  bordered  by  band  of  white  or  yellow ;  rump,  wing-patch,  and 

belly  white. 
Adult  Female :  Like  male,  but  with  red  crown  separated  from  the  white 

or  yellow  forehead  by  a  black  band. 
Young:  Like  adults,  but  colors  duller. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Mexico  and  western  border  of  United  States 

from  Western  Texas  to  California,  and  north  along  Pacific  coast  to 

Southern  Oregon  ;  south  to  Lower  California. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Suitable  localities  in  lower  Transition  zone 

west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season:  April  15  to  July  15. 

Nest:  Cavity  or  excavation  in  trees,  from  20  to  50  feet  from  the  ground. 
Eggs:  4  or  5  ;  glossy  white.  Size  1.00  X  0.75. 

THIS  is  the  Woodpecker  most  uniquely  Western  in  all 
his  ways.  He  belongs  exclusively  to  the  oak  belt  and 
can  be  found  only  where  these  trees  are  abundant.  Not 
at  all  shy,  he  seems  to  the  Eastern  bird-lover  to  replace 
the  redhead  of  the  home  forests,  and  his  gay  "  wake-up, 
wake-up,"  is  a  .welcome  greeting  from  an  old  friend. 
Like  the  redhead,  he  is  very  emphatic  in  his  manner  of 


407a.     CALIFOKXIAN  WOODPI-XKKR 
Mclanerpcs  fonnicivorus  bairdi 


CONSPICUOUSLY   BLACK   AND   WHITE      377 

speech,  emphasizing  his  conversation  with  ludicrous  con- 
tortions of  his  body. 

But  his  uniqueness  lies  in  his  habit  of  storing  up  food 
for  the  winter,  according  to  the  advice  of  King  Solomon, 
—  food  in  this  instance  meaning  the  cartridge-like  acorns 
of  the  live  oaks.  For  each  one  of  these  he  chisels  out 
a  hole  which  is  so  exact  a  fit  that  once  the  nut  is  in, 
man  requires  a  tool  to  get  it  out.  Round  and  round  a 
tree  he  goes,  filling  it  as  full  of  these  acorns  as  the  law- 
allows,  and  not  sparing  the  limbs  until  it  is  honeycombed 
from  top  to  bottom.  In  front  of  the  residence  of  Dr. 
David  Starr  Jordan  at  Palo  Alto,  stands  one  of  these 
trees,  a  living  monument  to  the  industry  of  Melanerpes 
formicivorus  bairdi. 

Like  the  redhead  again,  he  is  a  valiant  defender  of  his 
property,  —  be  it  acorns,  eggs,  or  nestlings.  He  is  uni- 
versally lord  of  all  he  surveys,  fearing  no  bird  of  his  own 
size  and  no  quadruped  of  any  size.  He  will  fly  furiously 
at  a  squirrel,  and  set  upon  a  cat  without  the  least 
hesitation,  aiming  directly  for  its  eyes,  provided  puss  is 
dangerously  near  his  young.  Though  I  have  never  found 
him  quarrelsome  or  tyrannical,  I  have  frequently  noticed 
that  smaller  birds  scatter  when  he  alights  in  their 
vicinity. 

His  nest  is  excavated  in  a  live  oak  tree,  usually  on 
the  under  side  of  a  large  branch  at  some  distance  from 
the  trunk,  and  from  fifteen  to  twenty-five  feet  from  the 
ground.  Both  male  and  female  share  in  the  labor  of 
excavating  the  nest  and  in  the  incubation  of  the  eggs. 
The  cavity  is  usually  about  eighteen  inches  deep,  five 


378  LAND   BIRDS 

inches  wide  at  the  bottom,  and  one  and  three-fourths 
inches  in  diameter  at'  the  entrance.  Incubation  lasts 
seventeen  days,  and  the  young  remain  in  the  nest  about 
three  and  a  half  weeks.  They  are  fed  upon  the  larvae  of 
black  beetles,  grasshoppers,  ants,  and  fruit.  At  certain 
seasons  of  the  year  this  species  is  almost  exclusively  a 
fruit-eater,  and  at  all  times  it  prefers  vegetable  to  animal 
food.  Its  call  is  a  loud,  clear  two-syllable  note,  which 
it  usually  utters  when  perched  on  top  of  a  stump,  where 
it  loves  to  sit  and  drum.  It  returns  to  the  same  nest 
tree  year  after  year,  but  usually  excavates  a  new  cavity, 
frequently  utilizing  the  old  one  as  a  shelter  for  the  male 
on  stormy  nights. 

411.    GILA    WOODPECKER.  —  Melanerpes  uropygialis. 
FAMILY  :  The  Woodpeckers. 

Length :  About  10.00. 

Adult  Male:  Head,  neck,  and  under  parts  light  grayish  brown  ;  middle 

of  crown  red  ;  back,  rump,  and  upper  tail-coverts  barred  with  black 

and  white  ;  middle  of  belly  yellowish  ;  middle  and  outer  tail-feathers 

marked  with  white. 

Adult  Female :  Like  male,  but  no  red  on  crown. 
Young:  Like  adults,  with  colors  duller  and  markings  less  distinct. 
Geographical   Distribution :  Southeastern   California,   southern   part  of 

Arizona  and  New  Mexico,   south  through  Lower  California. 
California  Breeding  Range  :  Around  the  Lower  Colorado  River,  near  Fort 

Yuma, 

Breeding  Season :  May. 

Nest:  In  excavations  in  trees  or  in  giant  cacti. 
Eggs:  3  to  5;  white.     Size  0.96  X  0.71. 

THE  range  of  the  Gila  Woodpecker  in  California  is 
restricted  to  the  southeastern  corner,  bordering  on  the 
Lower  Colorado  River,  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Yuma. 


CONSPICUOUSLY  BLACK   AND   WHITE      379 

Here  it  breeds  in  small  numbers,  making  its  nest  in 
cottonwoods,  sycamores,  and  wherever  possible  in  the 
giant  cactus.  In  fact,  Mr.  Anthony  asserts  that  its  range 
is  governed  by  the  presence  or  absence  of  the  giant 
cactus,  in  which  it  nests,  and  on  the  fruit  of  which  it 
feeds. 

In  general  habits  it  is  like  the  Californian  wood- 
pecker, —  talkative,  noisy,  and  restless.  "  When  flying 
from  one  point  to  another  it  usually  utters  a  sharp  shrill 
'  hiut '  two  or  three  times,  resembling  the  common  call 
of  the  phainopepla,  and  which  may  readily  be  mistaken 
for  it.  It  is  also  more  or  less  addicted  to  drumming  on 
the  dead  tops  of  cottonwood,  sycamore,  and  mesquite 
trees.  Its  flight,  like  that  of  most  woodpeckers,  is 
undulating  rather  than  swift"  (Bendire). 

The  food  of  the  Gila  Woodpecker  consists  of  larvae, 
grasshoppers,  ants,  beetles,  the  fruit  of  the  giant  cactus, 
and  the  berries  of  that  species  of  mistletoe  found  on 
oaks  and  mesquite  trees  in  that  region.  The  same  nest 
excavation  is  used  several  years  in  succession.  Major 
Bendire  says  that  incubation  lasts  about  two  weeks, 
and  that  both  sexes  assist  in  preparing  the  nest  and 
brooding  the  eggs. 

425.    WHITE-THROATED   SWIFT.  —  Aeronautes 
melanoleucus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Swifts. 

Length:  6.00-7.00. 

Adults:  Tail  about  half  as  long  as  wing,  with  stiff  narrow  feathers; 

upper  parts  "blackish  ;  throat,  breast,  wing-patch,  and  rump  white ; 

sides  dusky  or  black. 


380 


LAND   BIRDS 


Geographical  Distribution :  Western  United  States,  from  the  Pacific  east 
to  Western  Nebraska  ;  from  Washington  to  Lower  California. 

California  Breeding  Itange:  Among  the  mountainous  regions  east  of  the 
humid  coast  belt,  and  along  the  coast  southward  from  Santa  Cruz. 

Breeding  Season  :  June  and  July. 

Nest:  Glued  to  crevices  of  cliffs  or  walls  of  caves  ;  mnde  of  short  twigs 
and  weed  stems  and  soft  vegetable  matter  ;  lined  with  a  few  feathers. 
4  or  5  ;  white.  Size  0.88  X  0.53. 

THE  White-throated  Swift  is  an 
abundant  resident  of  Southern  Cali- 
fornia, and  may 
be  seen  in  num- 
bers in  the  vicin- 
ity of  the  Old 
Mission  at  San 

Juan  Capistrano,  as  well  as  in  Los 
Angeles  County  and  other  localities.  Its 
nesting  site  is  the  most  inaccessible  cliff 
of  the  regions  where  it  is  resident ;  con- 
sequently only  a  few  nests  have  been  in- 
vestigated. The  best  account  of  one  is 
given  by  Mr.  W.  B.  Judson,  of  Los 
Angeles,  where  the  nest  was  found.  "  It 
was  situated  about  eighty  feet  from  the 
top  of  a  cliff  and  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  feet  from  the  ground,  in  a  cave  about 
seven  feet  high,  ten  feet  wide,  and  ex- 
tending some  seven  feet  in  the  face  of 
the  cliff.  The  nest  was  placed  in  a  small 
hole  in  the  roof  of  the  cave,  — 

425.  WHITE-THROATED    almost  too  small  to  get  my  hand  in 

SWIFT. 
"its  nesting  site  is  the    without    enlarging    it,  —  extending 

most  inaccessible  cliff." 


CONSPICUOUSLY  BLACK   AND   WHITE      381 

about  a  foot  up  in  the  rock,  and  then  there  was  a  small 
cleft  in  which  it  was  placed.  It  was  so  firmly  glued  to 
the  rock  that  it  could  not  be  pulled  off'  without  tearing 
it  to  pieces.  The  materials  of  winch  it  was  constructed 
felt  soft  and  spongy ;  there  were  no  sticks  or  twigs  in 
it,  and  it  was  lined  with  a  few  feathers.  Evidently  it 
had  been  in  use  during  more  than  one  season,  as  the 
vegetable  matter  was  quite  disintegrated." 


458  a.   WESTERN   BLACK    PHCEBE.  —  Sayornis  nigri- 

cans  semiatra. 
FAMILY  :  The  Flycatchers. 

Length:  6.25-7.00. 

Adults :  Entire  plumage  slate-black,  except  for  white  bell}' ;  outer  web 
of  tail-feathers  and  under  tail-coverts  white. 

Young:  Similar  to  adults,  but  wing-coverts  tipped  with  light  rust}'. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  from  Mexico  to  Oregon  ;  east- 
ward nearly  to  Southern  Texas. 

California  Breeding  Mange :  In  lower  Sonoran  zone  from  latitude  28° 
northward. 

Breeding  Season:  April  15  to  June  15. 

Nest :  A  compact  though  bulky  mass  of  mud  mixed  with  dried  grass, 
weed  fibre,  and  hair ;  lined  with  soft  feathers  ;  attached  to  rocks, 
beams  of  buildings,  or  bridges. 

Eggs:  3  to  6  ;  white,  sometimes  finely  speckled  with  reddish  brown 
around  the  larger  end. 

THE  Black  Phoebe  resembles  the  Eastern  phoebe  even 
more  than  does  the  Say.  It  builds  about  human  habita- 
tions near  water,  and  uses  mud  in  the  construction  of 
its  nest,  which  is  on  the  same  plan,  though  lacking  the 
beauty,  of  that  of  the  Eastern  variety.  Like  the  latter,  it  is 
greatly  attached  to  a  locality  once  used  as  a  nesting  site, 
and  returns  to  it  year  after  year,  repairing  the  old  nest 


382  LAND  BIRDS 

or  building  a  new  one.  The  exterior  of  these  nests  is 
made  of  mud  mixed  with  scraps  of  vegetable  fibre  and 
hair.  Inside,  it  is  lined  with  fine  roots,  strips  of  bark, 
hair,  wool,  and  feathers.  For  some  unexplained  reason 
the  nest  of  this  species,  like  that  of  Say  phoebe  and  the 
Eastern  phcebe,  is  infested  with  innumerable  insects, 
which  frequently  cause  the  death  of  the  young.  This 
seems  strange  in  the  case  of  birds  that  splash  in  the  water 
so  much  as  do  these.  One  of  the  first  lessons  taught 
the  young  is  the  delight  of  a  bath  in  an  irrigation  ditch  ; 
to  this  wholesome  recreation  they  are  initiated  when 
about  five  weeks  old. 

The  food  habits  are  those  of  all  flycatchers,  —  a  restless 
darting  out  into  the  air  after  a  passing  butterfly,  or  down 
for  a  grasshopper,  and  always  back  to  the  same  perch. 
Nearly  every  insect  with  wings  is  seized  by  them  with 
equal  alacrity,  and  their  capacity  for  eating  is  out  of  all 
proportion  to  their  size.  Especially  is  this  true  of  the 
nestlings,  to  whom  food  is  brought  every  two  or  three 
minutes  and  eagerly  swallowed  with  no  indications  of 
surfeit.  Possibly  it  is  on  account  of  this  they  develop 
so  rapidly,  for  in  fourteen  days  the  weak  naked  babies 
become  fully  fledged  Phoebes,  with  a  pretty  call,  not 
unlike  that  of  their  parents,  but  which,  to  imaginative 
ears,  suggests  "  feed  me,  feed  me ! "  And  I  may  add 
that  this  is  the  interpretation  put  upon  it  by  the  father 
bird.  At  first  the  feeding  is  done  by  regurgitation,  but 
when  five  days  old  the  nestlings  are  fed  on  fresh  insects. 

As  soon  as  they  are  ready  to  fly  the  male  takes  entire 
care  of  them,  leaving  the  patient  mother  to  repair  the 


CONSPICUOUSLY   BLACK   AND   WHITE      383 

old  nest  and  undertake  the  bringing  up  of  a  second 
family.  He  teaches  the  young  to  catch  food  on  the 
wing,  just  as  the  Arkansas  and  Cassin  kingbirds  teach 
theirs,  and  as  I  believe  all  flycatchers  do,  —  by  releasing 
a  maimed  insect  in  the  air  just  in  front  of  the  hungry 
little  one,  who,  forgetting  fear,  instinctively  darts  out  to 
catch  it.  At  this  the  father  gives  a  cheery  note  of  tri- 
umph, which  the  nestling  soon  imitates  and  unconsciously 
begins  to  utter  whenever  he  is  successful  in  seizing  his 
small  prey.  This  and  a  low  twitter  during  the  mating 
season,  and  the  conventional  announcement  of  his  name 
in  a  plaintive  tone,  are  all  the  songs  he  ever  sings. 

475.    BLACK-BILLED   MAGPIE.  —  Pica  pica  hudsonia. 
FAMILY  :  The  Crows,  Jays,  Magpies,  etc. 

Length:  17.40-21.75. 

Adults:    General    plumage  iridescent   black,    except   belly   and   wing- 
patches  white  ;  bill  and  naked  skin  of  orbital  regions  black ;  tail 

loug  and  graduated. 

Young:  Head,  neck,  etc.  dull  black,  without  iridescence  on  crown. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Middle  and  Western  North  America,  Alaska 

and  Hudson   Bay  to  Northern  Arizona  and  New  Mexico  ;  east  to 

Eastern  Colorado. 
Breeding  Range :  East  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  north   to  Shasta  valley, 

south  to  Mono  Lake. 
Breeding  Season:  April  20  to  July  1. 
Nest :  Globular ;  2  feet  in  diameter  and  3  feet  high ;  made  of  sticks, 

inner  walls  of  mud,  lining  of  fine  rootlets ;  entrance  hole  on  one  side  ; 

placed  in  small  oaks,  cottonwoods,  and  pines,  3  to  20  feet  from  the 

ground. 
Eggs:  7;  grayish,   heavily  and  regularly  blotched  with  brown.     Size 

1.37  X  0.89. 

To  the  tourist  or  sojourner  from  the  East,  the  Magpie 
is  one  of  the  most  interesting  features  of  Western  fauna, 


384  LAND   BIRDS 

ranking  with  burrowing  owls  and  prairie  dogs.  From 
the  time  one  first  catches  a  glimpse  of  these  Magpies  until 
one's  face  is  set  homeward,  they  are  a  fascinating  study. 
Much  handsomer  and  more  intelligent  than  crows,  they 
are  comparatively  less  known.  The  average  Westerner 
regards  them  as  a  nuisance,  and  I  suspect  he  is  not  far 
wrong  in  this  estimate,  but,  like  their  relatives  the  jays, 
they  yet  have  something  to  commend  them. 

About  Lake  Tahoe  the  Black-billed  Magpies  abound  ; 
they  build  their  nests  in  the  young  oaks  as  close  to  the 
dooryards  as  they  are  allowed.  One  pair  that  I  watched 
had  nested  for  six  years  in  the  same  tree  ten  feet  from  a 
dwelling,  and  were  almost  as  tame  as  chickens.  They 
were  tolerated  on  the  ground  that  small  rodents  will  not 
come  where  they  are.  While  this  theory  is  not  entirely 
borne  out  by  the  facts,  there  is  a  grain  of  truth  in  it,  for 
a  magpie  will  watch  the  burrow  of  a  ground  squirrel 
like  a  terrier  at  a  rat  hole  and  pounce  as  swiftly  on  his 
victim.  His  curiosity  knows  no  bounds,  and  any  un- 
usual appearance  of  the  neighborhood  he  must  investi- 
gate and  talk  over.  An  experiment  of  hanging  bits  of 
black,  white,  red,  and  yellow  cloth  on  the  bushes  near 
the  abode  of  magpies  resulted  in  a  curious  selection  of 
the  yellow  and  white  first  and  an  apparent  terror  of  the 
red.  Repeated  experiments  seemed  to  prove  that  this 
color  was  repulsive  to  the  birds,  and  for  a  long  time  I 
could  not  guess  why,  knowing  that  raw  red  meat  was 
a  favorite  dainty.  Finally,  noticing  how  excited  both 
birds  became  at  the  approach  of  some  little  Indian  girls 
who  lived  in  the  fishing  village  and  who  were  dressed  in 


CONSPICUOUSLY  BLACK  AND  WHITE      385 

red  calico  gowns,  I  was  forced  to  conclude  that  in  some 
way  the  wise  old  birds  associated  that  color  with  perse- 
cution by  the  children.  It  seems  that  the  latter  had 
played  the  old  cross-string  trick  with  red  flannel,  which 
had  been  promptly  seized  again  and  again  by  the  birds, 
greatly  to  the  delight  of  the  tricksters,  to  whom  the 
temptation  to  snare  by  this  means  became  too  great  to 
be  resisted.  The  feathered  playmates  learned  to  shun 
both  the  color  and  the  children. 

The  nest  in  the  oak  tree  was  very  bulky,  and  bore 
evidence  of  having  been  used  for  several  broods.  On  or 
in  a  platform  of  sticks  was  a  bowl  of  mud,  lined  with 
cattle  hair  and  roofed  with  a  dome-shaped  mass  of  sticks. 
On  opposite  sides  were  entrance  and  exit,  and  through 
the  former  the  tail  of  the  brooding  bird  usually  extended 
when  she  was  on  the  nest.  For  eighteen  days  her  beady 
black  eyes  could  be  seen  at  the  exit,  for  scarcely  ever 
was  she  absent,  except  when  she  went  down  to  bathe, 
which  was  always  once  and  sometimes  twice  a  day. 
The  male  fed  her  devotedly  on  a  great  variety  of  dainties, 
—  crayfish,  dead  minnows,  young  squirrels,  small  snakes 
or  lizards,  big  black  crickets,  and,  alas !  eggs  and  young 
of  swallows.  The  latter  were  nesting  in  numbers  in 
hollow  piles  of  an  abandoned  pier  near  by,  and  wher- 
ever the  opening  was  large  enough  the  Magpie  helped 
himself.  Young  chickens  were  also  his  victims. 

On  the  day  the  young  Magpies  emerged  from  their 
shells,  the  mother  joined  her  mate  in  stealthy  journeys 
to  and  from  the  nest.  Silently  they  slipped  through  the 
trees,  but  at  the  doorway  of  their  home  never  failed  to 

25 


386  LAND   BIRDS 

"  talk "  in  low,  gurgling  tones  as  they  fed  and  cared  for 
the  little  cues.  It  was  wonderful  how  those  harsh 
voices  became  modulated  for  baby  ears.  Any  approach 
to  the  nest  on  my  part  was  received  with  a  chorus  of 
shrieks  from  both  parents,  defiant  threats  directed  toward 
my  eyes,  and  other  unpleasantness  ;  but,  fortunately,  it 
being  only  eleven  feet  from  the  ground  no  great  climb- 
ing was  necessary.  Surely  such  homely  babies  needed 
no  violent  defence  from  kidnapping  !  They  were  naked, 
dark  greenish  purple,  with  sightless  knobs  for  eyes  and 
long  necks  on  which  the  dark  skin  hung  in  loose  wrinkles. 
But  to  the  doting  parents  none  were  ever  more  beauti- 
ful and  none  were  more  closely  guarded.  Crickets,  other 
insects,  and  larvae  were  crammed  down  their  throats  at 
the  rate  of  forty-three  in  thirty  minutes, — not  much  for 
them,  but  a  goodly  amount  for  the  hard-working  pro- 
viders to  catch  and  bring.  Each  one  was  carefully 
crushed,  the  crickets  being  deprived  of  their  wings  and 
legs  before  being  given  to  the  nestling.  To  watch  these 
industrious  hunters  pursue  their  game  in  the  wet  grass 
near  the  lake  or  the  dryer  wood  lots  where  near  the 
rotting  logs  they  found  the  huge  black  crickets,  was 
fully  as  interesting  as  to  see  them  feed  the  young. 
Though  so  dignified  and  stately  when  walking  leisurely 
on  the  ground,  they  became  ludicrously  excited  when  in 
a  hurry,  and  with  long  tail  elevated  swooped  down 
upon  the  unfortunate  insect  with  the  air  of  one  doing 
great  deeds. 

At  the  end  of  two  weeks  the  nestlings  were  covered 
with  the  iridescent  sheen  of  the  adults,  but  their  tails 


CONSPICUOUSLY   BLACK   AND  WHITE      387 

were  as  yet  only  promises.  These  developed  with  sur- 
prising rapidity,  and  when  the  mature  age  of  three  weeks 
was  reached,  were  as  long  as  babies  could  manage.  For 
several  days  there  had  been  restless  little  heads  pok- 
ing out  of  the  doorways,  and  on  the  twenty-second  day 
one  youngster,  assisted  by  much  clamor  on  the  part  of 
the  excited  parents,  hopped  out  and  sat  on  a  branch.  I 
came  too  near  for  his  comfort,  and  away  he  flew  or  blew, 
for  his  long  tail  refused  to  conduct  itself  in  proper  mag- 
pie fashion  and  filled  with  wind  like  a  sail,  pushing  him 
helplessly  before  it  One  parent  followed  his  adven- 
tures, while  the  other  remained  to  guard  the  three  left 
in  the  nest.  These  were  looking  out  with  longing  eyes. 
Thinking  four  babies  too  much  for  one  mother  to  care 
for,  I  resolved  to  appropriate  one  of  them.  It  proved 
a  very  amusing  pet,  crossing  the  continent  with  me, 
and  eventually  became  one  of  the  magpie  colony  at 
Lincoln  Park,  Chicago,  where  it  still  exists.  While 
with  us  it  learned  to  say  a  number  of  words  quite  dis- 
tinctly, as  well  as  to  mimic  the  bark  of  a  dog,  the  whine 
of  a  puppy,  and  the  mew  of  a  kitten  ;  it  was  far  more 
intelligent  than  my  pet  crow  and  no  more  mischievous 
than  my  blue  jay.  Family  characteristics  are  prominent 
in  the  three. 


476.   YELLOW-BILLED   MAGPIE.  —  Pica  nuttalli. 
FAMILY:  The  Crows,  Jays,  Magpies,  etc. 

Length:  16.00-18.00. 

Adults:  Similar  to  black-billed  magpie,  but  smaller  and  with  bill  and 
naked  skin  of  orbital  region  bright  yellow. 


388  LAND   BIRDS 

Geographical  Distribution:  California  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  from 
Sacramento  south  to  Los  Angeles. 

Breeding  Range :  In  the  Sonoran  zone  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  moun- 
tains, north  to  Red  Bluff,  south  to  Santa  Paula. 

Breeding  Season:  April,  May,  and  June. 

Nest :  Similar  to  that  of  the  black-billed  magpie  ;  placed  in  oaks,  syca- 
mores, and  willows,  from  25  to  50  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs:  7  ;  greenish  gray,  more  or  less  marked  with  brown  over  the  whole 
surface.  Size  1.25  X  0.86. 

THE  Yellow-billed  Magpie  is  identical  with  the  pre- 
ceding species  except  in  the  color  of  the  bill,  which  is 
yellow,  varying  from  bright  straw-color  in  birds  found  in 
central  California  to  dull  grayish  buff  in  those  inhabit- 
ing the  northeastern  portion.  He  is  nearly  two  inches 
shorter  than  the  black-billed,  and  smaller  in  proportion. 
His  call-note  also  is  less  harsh  and  loud,  being  somewhat 
like  "  quee-quee-quee  "  instead  of  "  chack-chack  "  or 
"  quat-quat "  of  the  larger  species.  The  breeding  habits 
are  identical ;  a  full  description  will  be  found  under  the 
preceding  species.  Much  persecution  is  rapidly  decimat- 
ing this  variety,  and  where  it  was  abundant  twenty  years 
ago  it  is  now  scarce.  Although  much  more  restricted 
in  its  range  than  that  of  the  black-billed,  it  is  found 
in  more  thickly  populated  portions  of  the  State  about 
Sacramento  valley  and  is  a  better  known  bird.  It  is 
this  species  that  first  arrests  the  attention  of  the  tourist 
as  the  Eastern  train  pulls  slowly  into  Sacramento. 

Eminently  social,  like  all  their  family,  these  birds  have 
a  certain  esprit  de  corps  which  leads  them  to  forage  in 
bands,  making  common  cause  against  an  enemy  or  plot- 
ting wickedness  together,  talking  incessantly  as  only 
they  can  do. 


CONSPICUOUSLY   BLACK   AND   WHITE      389 

487.    WHITE-NECKED   RAVEN.  —  Corvus  cryptoleuctis. 
FAMILY  :  The  Crows,  Jays,  Magpies,  etc. 

Length:  18.75-21.00. 

Adults:  Entire  plumage  iridescent  black,  with  purplish  lights,  except 
the  feathers  of  neck,  which  are  white  at  base. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Southwestern  United  States,  principally  in 
the  lower  Sonoran  zone,  from  Texas  to  Southern  California  and  from 
Southern  Colorado  south  to  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Southern  part  of  the  State  in  lower  Sonoran 
zone. 

Breeding  Season  :  May  6  to  July  1 . 

Nest :  Poorly  constructed  and  somewhat  larger  than  those  of  our  common 
crow  ;  made  of  thorny  twigs  ;  lined  with  cattle  hair,  rabbit  fur,  bark, 
grass,  and  moss  ;  placed  from  7  to  20  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs :  3  to  8  ;  pale  green,  with  longitudinal  streaks  and  blotches  of  gray, 
brown,  and  lavender,  extending  from  end  to  end  of  the  egg,  and  par- 
tially hidden  by  spots  and  blotches  of  brown.  Size  1.74  X  1.19. 

To  the  careless  observer  the  White-necked  Raven 
differs  from  the  American  raven  only  in  being  more 
slender  and  slightly  smaller,  the  white  of  the  neck  being 
at  the  base  of  the  feathers  and  not  conspicuous.  In 
appearance  and  voice  as  well  as  size,  they  resemble 
closely  the  common  crows,  though  more  than  an  inch 
longer.  Their  nests  are  placed  in  giant  yucca,  cactus, 
mesquite,  or  other  low  bushes,  and  occasionally  in  oaks 
or  willows.  In  structure  they  resemble  the  nest  of  a 
crow,  being  loosely  thrown  together  of  twigs  and  lined 
with  hair  from  cattle.  Old  nests  are  repaired  and  used 
year  after  year,  until  they  become  exceedingly  offensive 
from  filth. 

Incubation  begins  after  the  set  of  eggs  is  completed, 
and  lasts  twenty-one  days,  only  one  brood  being  raised 
each  season. 


390  LAND   BIRDS 

Like  the  crows,  these  Ravens  feed  upon  insects  and 
animal  food  as  well  as  grain,  coming  close  to  the  abodes 
of  men  in  their  search  for  it.  When  their  appetite  has 
been  appeased,  they  will  hide  the  remainder  of  the  feast 
under  a  stone  or  a  piece  of  bark,  in  a  hole  or  in  the 
ground,  as  do  squirrels.  By  vigorous  excavating  with 
their  bills  a  pit  is  dug,  into  which  the  superfluous 
dainties  are  tucked,  and  the  whole  is  again  covered  with 
dirt,  which  looks  as  if  it  had  never  been  disturbed.  In 
some  occult  way  the  bird  remembers  just  where  each 
bit  is  hidden,  and  never  fails  to  return  for  it. 

Like  the  crows,  also,  they  are  found  in  large  flocks ; 
even  at  breeding  season  they  are  somewhat  gregarious ; 
but  they  are  totally  unlike  the  American  ravens,  in  being 
easily  tamed  and  in  preferring  the  lowland  deserts  to 
the  cliffs.  In  California  they  are  found  only  in  the 
southern  and  southeastern  portions,  and  are  nowhere 
very  abundant. 


494.    BOBOLINK.  —  Dolichonyx  oryzivorus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc. 

Length:  7.00-8.00. 

Adult  Male  in  Spring:   General  plumage  black;  patch  on  hind-neck 

cream  or  buff ;  wing  and  fore  part  of  back  lightly  streaked  ;  scapulars 

grayish  ;  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  white. 
Adult  Female :  General  plumage  yellowish  brown,  under  parts  paler ; 

upper  parts  and  flanks  streaked  with  blackish ;  crown  divided  by  a 

median  buffy  stripe. 
Adult  Male  in   Winter :  Similar  to  adult  female,  but  streaks  on  upper 

parts  blacker. 
Young:  Similar  to  adult  female,  but  more  buffy,  with  necklace  of  faint 

dusky  spots  ;  flanks  not  streaked. 


CONSPICUOUSLY  BLACK   AND  WHITE      391 

Geographical  Distribution:  Generally  throughout  North  America,  and 

seems  to  be  gradually  reaching  the  Pacific  coast,  migrating  to  the 

West  Indies  and  the  valley  of  the  Amazon. 
Breeding  Range :  In  Transition  zone  in  open  prairies  locally,  throughout 

its  habitat. 

Breeding  Season:  May  15  to  July  1. 
Nest ;  Of  dried  weeds  and  grasses ;  hidden  on  the  ground  among  tall 

grasses  or  concealed  in  a  depression. 
Eggs :  5  to  7  ;  dull  or  grayish  white  to  reddish  brown,  irregularly  spotted 

and  blotched  with  browns  and  purples.     Size  0.85  X  0.64. 

ALTHOUGH  at  present  only  a  rare  fall  visitant  in  Cali- 
fornia, there  are  evidences  that  the  Bobolink  of  the  East 
is  moving  westward  with  the  great  tide  of  civilization, 
and  gradually  forsaking  the  Atlantic  coast  to  become  a 
permanent  resident  of  the  Pacific  States.  There  is  no 
other  bird  quite  like  him  or  that  can  take  his  place  in 
the  heart  of  one  who  has  heard  his  tinkling  banjo-like 
song  in  the  meadows  east  of  the  Mississippi,  — 

"  The  rollicking,  jubilant  whistle, 
That  flows  like  a  brooklet  along." 

While  his  demure  brown  sweetheart  listens  in  the  long 
meadow  grass,  Robert  of  Lincoln  flies  upward  on  quiver- 
ing wings,  exploding  with  melody,  and  the  higher  he 
flies  the  more  joyously  he  sings.  It  is  a  rhapsody  on 
the  glory  of  the  June  morning  and  the  joy  of  loving. 

His  nest  is  securely  hidden  in  the  tangle  of  clover  or 
wild  grass,  often  placed  in  the  hollow  made  by  a  cow's 
foot,  sometimes  woven  among  the  clover  stems  and  al- 
most impossible  to  find.  The  mother  bird  broods  alone 
for  thirteen  days,  while  Robert  frolics  gayly  over  the  fields 
with  others  of  his  sex,  always  within  call,  but  seldom  or 
never  feeding  her.  When  the  young  are  hatched,  how- 


392 


LAND   BIRDS 


ever,  he  takes  charge  of  them,  and  I  have  found  him 
alone  with  a  brood  of  seven  nestlings  huddled  in  a  fence 
corner  in  Michigan.  The  young  are  born  naked  except 
for  a  scanty  sprinkling  of  down,  through  which  their 
skin  is  conspicuously  visible.  When  feathered,  they  re- 
semble the  females,  and  by  August  first,  when  even 
Robert  has  doffed  his  gay  suit,  it  is  difficult  to  tell  one 
member  of  the  family  from  the 
others.  This  is  their  travelling 
costume,  and  they  start  at  once 
on  their  long  journey  south  to 


494.   BOBOLINK.  ^r        nil    winter     on     the 

•While  his  demure  sweetheart  listens"  '    |       AnUlZOll      River. 

En  route  they  are  known  as  rice  birds,  and  make  havoc  of 
the  rice  fields  of  the  Southern  States,  so  that  farmers  and 
sportsmen  alike  make  war  upon  them,  selling  them  as 
"  ortolans "  in  Southern  markets.  In  the  spring  they 
come  north  again,  reaching  the  rice  fields  in  April,  when 
the  tender  shoots  are  a  few  inches  high,  and  stop  there  a 
few  days  to  pull  them  up  before  coming  farther  to  their 
breeding  grounds.  At  this  season  Robert  has  on  his 


CONSPICUOUSLY   BLACK   AND   WHITE      393 

bright  new  wedding  suit  of  buff,  black,  and  white,  and 
is  called  the  "  reed  bird." 


588  a.   SPURRED    TOWHEE.  —  Hortulanus  macidatus 

montanus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  8.50-8.90. 

Adult  Male:  Head,  neck,  chest,  and  upper  parts  except  rump  black  ; 
rump  grayish ;  white  patch  on  outer  tail-feathers ;  small  white 
patches  on  wings  ;  belly  white ;  flanks  chestnut. 

Adult  Female :  Similar  to  male,  but  brown  in  place  of  black  ;  back  in- 
distinctly streaked. 

Young  :  Upper  parts  streaked  black  and  brown  ;  under  parts  rusty. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Rocky  Mountains,  west  to  interior  of  Cali- 
fornia ;  north  through  Washington  ;  south  to  Lower  California  and 
Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Upper  Sonoran  and  Transition  zones,  east 
and  south  of  the  humid  coast  belt  nearly  throughout  the  State. 

Breeding  Season :  June  1  to' July  10. 

Nest :  Of  bark,  leaves,  and  small  sticks  ;  lined  with  grass  ;  placed  on  or 
near  the  ground  in  bushes. 

Eggs :  4  or  5  ;  pale  greenish,  finely  speckled  at  the  larger  end.  Size 
0.88  X  0.70. 

Remark:  The  San  Diego  towhee,  P.  m.  atratus,  is  very  similar  to  the 
Spurred  Towhee,  but  darker  and  with  white  markings  more  restricted. 

THE  Spurred  Towhee  is  very  like  the  common  towhee 
or  chewink  of  the  Eastern  United  States  in  coloring, 
except  for  the  white  mixed  with  the  black  of  his  back  and 
wings.  He  is  a  common  bird  in  the  dense  woods  of  the 
lower  Sierra  Nevada  mountains,  breeding  in  the  edge  of 
the  clearings,  either  on  the  ground  or  a  few  feet  up,  in 
cedar  saplings  and  manzanita  bushes.  Often  as  I  have 
seen  them  in  a  morning's  tramp  the  Spurred  Towhee 
greatly  outnumbered  other  birds,  particularly  if  my  way 
lay  through  the  heavy  timber. 


394  LAND   BIRDS 

His  vocal  efforts  are  somewhat  different  from  the  bell- 
like  notes  of  the  Eastern  species,  and  have  been  so  well 
described  by  Mr.  Keyser  in  "  Birds  of  the  Rockies  "  that 
I  quote  his  words  rather  than  attempt  a  description  of 
my  own : 

"  It  is  a  cross  between  the  song  of  the  chewink  and 
that  of  dickcissel.  The  opening  syllabication  is  like 
dickcissel's ;  then  follows  a  trill  of  no  specially  definable 
character.  There  are  times  when  he  sings  with  more 
than  his  wonted  force,  and  it  is  then  that  his  tune  bears 
the  strongest  likeness  to  the  Eastern  towhee's.  But  his 
alarm  call!  It  is  no  'chewink'  at  all,  but  almost  as 
close  a  reproduction  of  a  cat's  mew  as  is  the  catbird's 
well  known  call.  Such  crosses  and  anomalies  does  this 
country  produce  ! 

"  On  the  arid  mountain  sides  among  the  stunted  bushes, 
cactus  plants,  sand,  and  rocks,  this  quaint  bird  makes  his 
home,  coming  down  into  the  valleys  to  drink  at  the  tink- 
ling brooks  and  trill  his  roundelays.  Many,  many  times 
as  I  was  following  a  deep  fissure  in  the  mountains,  his 
ditty  came  dripping  down  to  me  from  a  spot  far  up  the 
steep  mountain-side  —  a  little  cascade  of  song  mingling 
with  the  cascades  of  the  brooks." 


OREGON    TOVVHEE.  —  Hortulanus  maculatus 

oregonus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  8.00-8.60. 

Adult  Mode:  Upper  parts  black,  with  white  streaks  on  back  concealed, 
and  all  white  markings  much  restricted  ;  small  white  round  spots 
at  tips  of  wing-coverts  ;  white  patches  on  outer  tail-feathers  less  than 
an  inch  in  length  ;  sides  dark  reddish  brown. 


CONSPICUOUSLY   BLACK   AND  WHITE      395 

Adult  Female :  Similar  to  male,  but  dark  sooty  brown  in  place  of  black 

on  head,  neck,  cbest,  and  upper  parts  ;  sides  deep  reddish  brown. 
Young  :   Upper   parts  almost  uniform  dark  brown  ;   throat  and  chest 

dusky  ;  neck  streaked ;  under  parts  dark  buffy. 
Geographical  Distribution :    Pacific  coast,  from  Southern  California  to 

British   Columbia. 
California  Breeding  Range:  Humid  coast   belt  as  far  south  as  San 

Francisco. 

Breeding  Season :  May. 
Nest:  Of  grasses  and  leaves;  lined  with  finer  grasses;  placed  on  the 

ground  or  in  bushes  and  stumps. 
Eggs:  4  or  5;  pinkish  white  or  pale  greenish,  thickly  speckled  with 

cinnamon-brown.     Size  0.94  X  0.70. 

THE  Oregon  Towhee  which,  south  of  Mendocino 
County,  Mr.  Grinnell  has  listed  as  the  San  Francisco 
Towhee,  differs  only  slightly  from  the  latter,  but  has  a 
more  restricted  range  in  California.  In  habits  it  re- 
sembles the  common  towhee. 

The  usual  nesting  site  of  this  species  is  on  the  ground, 
in  a  tangle  of  ferns  or  grasses  well  shaded  under  low 
bushes ;  when,  however,  the  proximity  of  enemies  renders 
a  ground  nest  dangerous,  the  birds  wisely  choose  the  top 
of  a  stump  hidden  among  vines,  or  the  thick  branches  of 
bushes.  The  same  locality  is  sought  by  them  year  after 
year. 

In  the  deep  woods  where  the  California  partridge 
nests,  it  is  not  unusual  to  find  the  eggs  of  that  game  bird 
in  the  nest  of  the  Oregon  Towhee.  Mr.  Cohen,  of  Ala- 
meda,  records  one  Towhee  nest  four  feet  from  the  ground 
on  a  live-oak  stub  and  containing  four  Towhee  eggs  and 
fifteen  eggs  of  the  partridge.  Another  recorded  by  him 
was  on  the  ground,  and  contained  three  eggs  of  the 
Towhee  and  eighteen  of  the  partridge.  The  Towhee 
abandoned  the  nest  after  six  partridge  eggs  were  laid, 


396  LAND  BIRDS 

leaving  the  partridge  to  rear  the  brood.  Inasmuch  as  the 
Towhee  eggs  hatch  in  two  weeks,  the  young  being  very 
dark  colored  and  naked,  while  the  partridge  eggs  require 
three  weeks  and  the  young  are  lively  little  balls  of  down 
able  to  run  about  as  soon  as  dry,  the  sacrifice  of  the 
Towhee's  brood  is  inevitable  whenever  the  two  are 
deposited  in  the  same  nest. 

Mr.  Anthony  records  finding  an  egg  of  this  Towhee  in 
the  nest  of  a  rusty  song  sparrow. 

605.    LARK   BUNTING.  —  Calamospiza   melanocorys. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  6.12-7.50. 

Adult  Male  in  Summer :  Entire  plumage  black  or  slaty,  except  for  white 
patch  on  wings,  and  sometimes  white  marks  on  tail-feathers.  Winter 
adult  similar  to  summer  female,  except  chin,  wings,  and  tail  black. 

Adult  Female:  Upper  parts  brownish  gray  streaked  with  dusky; 
white  wing-patch  smaller  and  tinged  with  buffy  ;  tail,  except  mid- 
dle feathers,  spotted  with  white  ;  under  parts  white,  streaked  on 
breast  and  sides. 

Young:  Similar  to  adult  female,  but  m^re  buffy  ;  feathers  of  upper 
parts  bordered  with  buffy  white  ;  streaks  on  lower  parts  narrower. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Plains  of  Dakota  and  Kansas,  west  to 
Rocky  Mountains,  north  to  United  States  boundary,  south  in  winter 
to  Lower  California  and  New  Mexico  ;  occasional  west  of  Rocky 
Mountains.  Irregular  in  Southern  California. 

California  Breeding  Range  :  In  San  Diegan  district.     (Very  rare.) 

Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 

Nest :  Of  grass  and  fine  rootlets  ;  lined  with  finer  grasses  and  vegetable 
down  ;  sunk  in  the  ground,  or  placed  under  a  tuft  of  grass  or  weeds. 

Eggs:  4  or  5  ;  plain  pale  blue.     Size  0.85  X  0.65. 

THE  Lark  Bunting,  in  form,  size,  and  general  habits  of 
song  and  nesting,  resembles  the  bobolink  of  the  Eastern 
United  States  in  such  a  way  as  to  be  frequently  mistaken 
for  that  bird  by  careless  observers.  The  dark  plumage 


CONSPICUOUSLY  BLACK   AND   WHITE      397 

of  the  male,  with  his  conspicuous  white  wing-patches 
and  occasional  white  outlines  on  the  tail,  renders  him  a 
striking  object  as  he  shoots  up  from  the  grass  like  a 
rocket  and  whistles  his  merry  song.  This  he  does  in 
true  bobolink  fashion,  never  pausing  to  catch  his  breath 
until,  sliding  downward  through  the  air,  he  alights 
within  twenty  feet  of  his  starting  point  and  finishes  the 
trilling  begun  in  midair.  Over  and  over,  all  day  long, 
during  the  nesting  time,  he  repeats  this  double  aerial 
feat  of  flight  and  song.  It  is  as  if  a  sudden  explosion  of 
joy  within  him  sent  him  skyward  on  wings  of  music.  Its 
force  spent,  he  flutters  down  to  the  quiet  gladness  of 
earth  once  more  and  soliloquizes  sweetly  on  the  wonder 
of  it,  as  he  swings  on  a  low  perch. 

Like  the  bobolink,  too,  he  changes  his  summer  plu- 
mage to  a  less  striking  suit  of  brown  like  that  of  his  mate, 
before  he  starts  on  his  fall  trip  to  the  plateaus  of  Mexico. 
His  nest  is  deftly  hidden  in  the  weed  clumps  of  a  moun- 
tain meadow,  and  neither  he  nor  the  demure  little  mother 
bird  will  reveal  its  whereabouts.  In  this  trait  also  he 
resembles  the  bobolink,  for,  instead  of  rising  from  the 
nest  as  the  meadowlarks  and  some  sparrows  are  apt  to 
do,  the  Lark  Bunting  slips  through  the  weeds  for  some 
distance  before  reaching  her  grass-lined  cradle. 

The  baby  Buntings  are  fed  exclusively  upon  insect 
diet  as  long  as  they  remain  in  the  nest,  and  for  some 
time  after  leaving  it.  They  hide  in  the  cover  of  the 
grass  and  weeds  until  able  to  fly  well,  and  at  night  they 
cuddle  into  the  thick  underbrush,  like  little  quail,  with 
both  parents  on  guard.  Even  after  the  first  real  flight  it 


398  LAND   BIRDS 

is  not  uncommon  to  find  the  family  keeping  together,  and 
by  September  they  have  joined  bands  flitting  southward 
for  the  winter. 

The  call-note  of  this  species  is  a  clear,  sweet  whistle 
like  an  interrogative  "  who-ee  ? "  and  is  heard  oftenest 
during  spring  and  fall,  when  the  migrating  flocks  are 
feeding  along  the  way.  In  quality  it  is  not  unlike  the 
fall  call  of  the  bob-white,  but  much  thinner  in  tone. 

620.    PHAINOPEPLA.  —Pkainopepla  nitons. 
FAMILY  :  The  Waxwings  and  Phainopeplas. 

Length:  7.00-7.75. 

Adult  Male:  Plumage   uniform   glossy   blue-black,   except    for   white 

patch  on  inner  webs  of  primaries  ;  a  long  thin  crest  on  crown.    Winter 

plumage  similar,  but  many  feathers  bordered  with  white. 
Adult  Female,  and  Young :  Brownish  gray,  rather  pale  on  under  parts. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Arid  region  of  Mexico  and  contiguous  parts  of 

United  States  from  Western  Texas  to  Southern  California. 
California  Breeding  Range:  Arid  lower  Sonoran  zone. 
Breeding  Season:  May  to  July. 
Nest:  Saucer-shaped,  rather  .com  pact ;  of  plant  fibres,  weed  stems,  twigs, 

and   plant  down  ;   usually   in    pepper  or   oak  trees,  or   bunches   of 

mistletoe. 
Eggs:  2  or  3;  dull  grayish  white,  thickly  spotted  with  a  neutral  tint, 

dark  brown  and  purple.     Size  0.89  X  0.69. 

IF,  when  driving  through  the  streets  of  Redlands  or 
Riverside,  you  see  a  slender  bird  of  iridescent  black  plu- 
mage with  a  striking  black  crest,  feasting  on  the  rose- 
colored  berries  of  the  pepper  trees,  or  sailing  through 
the  air,  his  conspicuous  white  wing-patches  standing 
out  like  sails,  be  sure  that  it  is  the  wonderful  Phaino- 
pepla,  one  of  the  most  interesting  of  Western  birds.  It 
is  a  common  resident  throughout  Southern  California,  and 


620.     PHAINOPEPLA 
Phainopepla  nitens 


CONSPICUOUSLY  BLACK  AND  WHITE      399 

may  be  studied  in  almost  any  locality  from  Pasadena  to 
Sun  Diego  and  eastward.  Stragglers  have  been  ob- 
served as  far  north  as  San  Jose",  Chico,  and  Marysville, 
but  their  usual  haunts  are  the  warmer  regions  of  the 
southeastern  part  of  the  State.  Here  they  nest  in  the 
oaks  and  mesquites,  building  a  loose  flat  structure  which 
once  seen  will  ever  afterward  be  easily  identified.  I  be- 
lieve that  these  birds,  like  the  cedar  waxwings,  usually 
remain  mated  for  life,  but  when  the  sunny  May  days 
come  the  male  performs  wonderful  aerial  gymnastics  to 
win  the  admiration  of  the  demure  brown  female.  With 
a  not  unmusical  prelude  he  springs  into  the  air,  performs 
a  somersault  much  like  a  long-tailed  chat,  and  comes 
tumbling  back  to  his  perch,  where  he  alights  easily  and 
gracefully,  not-  having  ceased  his  song  for  a  moment. 
The  only  notice  his  quiet  mate  takes  of  this  is  a  slight 
elevating  of  her  crest,  as  a  haughty  lady  might  raise  her 
eyebrows.  The  male's  fine  crest  is  constantly  erect, 
cockatoo  fashion,  as  he  continues  his  adulation.  In  fact, 
the  only  time  I  ever  saw  it  lowered  was  when  one  of 
these  handsome  birds  seemed  to  be  scolding  a  female, 
whether  his  mate  or  not  I  do  not  know.  He  stood  be- 
fore her  with  crest  down  and  head  stretched  out  on  a 
level  with  his  body,  wings  tight  to  his  sides,  uttering 
harsh  notes  and  swaying  from  side  to  side  in  anger.  As 
soon  as  she  flew  away  he  resumed  his  eating. 

One  pair  which  nested  in  an  oak  tree  near  Pasadena 
appeared  suddenly  in  the  neighborhood  on  the  morning 
of  May  16,  and  a  few  days  later  were  discovered  at  work 
on  a  nest.  A  watch  was  kept  from  a  distance  with  field 


400  LAND   BIRDS 

glasses,  and  while  it  was  impossible  to  see  how  the  weav- 
ing was  done  on  account  of  the  thick  foliage,  it  was  easy 
to  ascertain  that  the  male  bird  was  the  architect.  Only 
once  did  the  female  drop  down  to  the  nest,  and  then  she 
remained  so  long  as  to  make  it  seem  certain  an  egg  was 
laid.  However,  the  next  day  she  was  flying  away  over 
the  valley  with  apparently  no  thought  of  family  cares, 
and  was  not  observed  near  the  nest  tree  again  until  the 
third  day  after.  Two  days  later  sitting  began.  In  this 
the  male  shared  to  a  limited  extent  only.  At  least  he 
remained  at  the  nest,  but  whether  or  not  he  actually 
brooded  the  eggs  I  do  not  know,  because  a  fear  of  caus- 
ing the  birds  to  desert  prevented  a  watch  at  close  range. 
On  the  fourteenth  day  the  male  was  observed  visiting 
the  nest  very  frequently,  and  an  examination  revealed  two 
pinkish  bits  of  bird  life,  naked  except  for  a  sprinkling  of 
thin  gray  down  on  top  of  heads  and  shoulders.  There  was 
nothing  in  their  appearance  to  suggest  the  elegant  form 
of  their  parents,  and  they  might  as  well  have  been  young 
sparrows.  From  that  time  on  we  obtained  an  intimate 
knowledge  of  their  development  by  keeping  watch  under 
the  tree.  The  intervals  of  feeding  varied  with  the  time 
of  day.  From  four  to  six  A.  M.  the  shortest  wait  was  five 
minutes  and  the  longest  seventeen.  During  the  day  as 
long  as  one  hour  sometimes  intervened  between  the  meals. 
Insects  and  berries  were  swallowed  by  the  adults,  who 
fed  the  young  by  regurgitation.  In  the  case  of  the  wax- 
wings  and  Phainopeplas  the  process  of  regurgitation 
lacks  the  usual  violent  pumping  motion,  but  consists  of  a 
quick  eructation  of  the  food  from  the  throat  into  the  bill. 


CONSPICUOUSLY  BLACK   AND   WHITE      401 

In  twelve  days  the  nestlings  were  growing  quite  a 
respectable  coat  of  brownish  gray  like  that  of  the  female, 
and  could  be  seen  stretching  their  wings  in  the  saucer- 
shaped  nest  so  near  the  edge  that  they  were  in  imminent 
danger  of  falling  off.  Their  call  was  exactly  like  that  of 
the  young  cedar  waxwings,  a  prolonged  "  pee-eet,"  sweet 
and  plaintive.  The  song  of  the  adult  is  more  remark- 
able for  enthusiasm  than  musical  quality,  and  his  call- 
note  is  a  shrill  two-syllabled  utterance  in  the  harsh  tones 
of  a  blue  jay.  Besides  this  he  has  a  variety  of  conversa- 
tional tones  which  remind  one  somewhat  of  the  gentle 
waxwings. 

In  some  localities  the  Phainopepla  is  called  the  black 
mockingbird,  but  he  has  not  a  single  characteristic  of 
the  mockingbird  family,  and  certainly  his  vocal  powers 
do  not  put  him  in  that  list.  * 


665.     BLACK-THROATED   GRAY   WARBLER. 

Dendroica  nigrescens. 

FAMILY  :  The  Wood  Warblers. 

Length:  470-5.40. 

Adult  Male  in  Spring  and  Summer:  Head,  throat,  and  chest  black, 
except  for  broad  white  stripe  above  ear-coverts,  broad  white  malar 
stripe,  and  a  yellow  spot  over  lores  ;  upper  parts  bluish  gray,  the  back 
and  sides  streaked  with  black  ;  breast  and  belly  pure  white  ;  two 
white  wing-bars  ;  tail  with  inner  web  of  two  outer  feathers  white. 

Adult  Female  in  Spring  and  Summer:  Similar  to  male,  but  colors 
duller  ;  crown  usually  grayish,  often  streaked  with  black. 

Adult  Male  in  Fall  and  Winter:  Similar  to  summer  male,  but  gray  of 
upper  parts  tinged  with  brown,  and  black  markings  restricted,  some- 
times nearly  obsolete. 

Adult  Female  in  Fall  and  Winter:  Similar  to  summer  female,  but  plu- 
mage softer  and  streaks  on  back  and  upper  tail-coverts  wanting. 
26 


402  LAND  BIRDS 

Young  Male:  Similar  to  adult  winter  male,  but  upper  parts  browner, 
crown  brownish  gray,  except  iu  frout  and  sides ;  streaks  ou  back 
and  upper  tail-coverts  concealed ;  black  of  throat  with  white  tips  to 
feathers  ;  under  parts  yellowish. 

Young  Female:  Entire  upper  parts  brownish  gray,  crown  bordered  with 
dusky  ;  under  parts  brownish. 

Geographical  Distribution:  In  mountainous  parts  of  Western  United 
States,  from  Rockies  to  Pacific ;  north  as  far  as  British  Columbia  ; 
south  in  winter  to  Mexico. 

California,  Breeding  Range :  Along  the  Sierra  Nevada  from  San  Bernar- 
dino mountains  to  Shasta  County. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest:  Compact  and  cup-shaped  ;  built  of  gray  plant  fibres  ;  lined  with 
hair  or  feathers  ;  placed  in  thickets  or  scrub  oaks,  or  in  pines,  from  4 
to  20  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  white,  dotted  with  reddish  brown  and  purple,  chiefly  at 
the  larger  end.  Size  0.66  X  0.52. 

AMONG  the  junipers  of  the  San  Bernardino  mountains 
the  Black-throated  Gray  Warbler  makes  his  summer 
home.  The  green  caterpillars,  which  some  birds  refuse 
and  which  on  some  trees  seem  •  to  be  poisonous,  are  his 
favorite  food.  His  simple,  rather  thin  little  song  comes 
from  the  sparse  stunted  growth  of  the  foot-hills  where  he 
is  busily  at  work  hunting  for  his  dinner,  but  the  bird 
himself  keeps  behind  the  foliage  and  will  not  make 
friends.  He  seems  to  be  more  indifferent  than  shy.  and 
to  prefer  the  quiet  of  the  thicket  rather  than  gay  dashes 
out  into  the  sunlight.  You  may  know  him  by  the  yellow 
spot  in  front  of  and  just  above  the  eye.  Farther  north 
this  species  is  found  frequenting  the  oak  trees  almost 
exclusively,  though  the  nest  is  usually  in  a  manzanita  or 
hazel  bush.  In  the  spring  these  oaks  are  particularly 
infested  with  the  green  caterpillars,  and  the  Warblers 
never  seem  to  tire  of  devouring  the  pests.  They  lean 
away  over  to  peer  under  every  leaf,  or  reach  up  to  the 


CONSPICUOUSLY  BLACK   AND   WHITE      403 

twigs  overhead,  never  missing  one.  Twenty  of  these 
worms  is  an  average  meal  for  a  Black-throated  Gray 
Warbler,  and  the  total  for  a  day  must  reach  into  the 
hundreds.  When  several  of  these  busy  workers  hunt 
through  a  tree  together,  we  may  feel  sure  that  it  must  be 
clean  by  the  time  they  finish  the  task. 


665.    BLACK-THROATED  GRAY  WARBLER. 
"  They  lean  away  over  to  peer  under  every  leaf." 

Their  common  note  is  a  sharp  "  chip,"  and  their  song 
is  rich  and  very  strong  during  the  nesting  season.  One 
remarkable  trait  of  these  birds  is  the  philosophical  calm- 
ness which  they  exhibit  over  any  domestic  catastrophe. 
When  their  nest  is  destroyed  by  jays  or  other  enemies, 
there  is  a  quiet  consulting  together  over  the  misfortune, 


404  LAND  BIRDS 

and  a  beginning  again  in  another  bush.  A  very  interest- 
ing description  of  the  habits  of  this  species  has  been 
given  by  Mr.  Bowles  in  "The  Condor"  for  July,  1902. 
The  nesting  habits  resemble  those  of  the  yellow  warblers. 

PLUMAGE   BLACK    OB   IRIDESCENT   BLACK 

422.     BLACK    SWIFT.  —  Cypseloides  niger  borealis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Swifts. 

Length:  7.00-7.50. 

Adults:  Tail  slightly  forked ;  entire  plumage  dusky,  and  grayish  on  head 
and  neck  ;  a  black  patch  in  front  of  the  eye. 

Young :  Similar,  but  feathers  tipped  with  whitish. 

Geographical  Distribution :  From  the  Rocky  Mountains  west  to  the  Pa- 
cific, and  from  British  Columbia  south  to  Lower  California. 

California  Breeding  Range:  Irregular  and  local. 

Breeding  Season:  June  15  to  August  1. 

Nest :  On  inaccessible  cliffs  ;  made  of  straw,  chips,  and  horsehair  ;  lined 
with  green  leaves  and  paper. 

Eggs:  5  ;  white. 

THE  exact  range  of  the  Black  Swift,  or  Cloud 
Swift,  is  not  definitely  known.     It  is  found 
breeding  in  various  localities 
in  California,  but  never 


in  places  accessible 
to    anything   not   pro- 
vided   with    wings.      In 
the  Sierra  Nevada  and  the  Coast 
Range    of    California    it    occurs 

through  the  air, 


BLACK   OR  IRIDESCENT  BLACK  405 

locally  in  small  numbers,  nesting  in  colonies  on  the 
high  perpendicular  cliffs.  Dr.  Merriam  reports  it  from 
Inyo  County,  California,  and  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher  writes  of  it 
in  the  "  Ornithology  of  the  Death  Valley  Expedition  "  as 
follows  :  "  The  Black  Swift  was  first  observed  at  Owens 
Lake  near  Keeler,  California,  where  a  number  were  seen 
flying  back  and  forth  over  the  salt  meadows.  .  .  .  When 
the  flock  left  the  marsh  it  rose  high  in  the  air  and  went 
in  the  direction  of  the  cliffs  in  the  Inyo  Mountains, 
where  a  colony  was  evidently  breeding." 

In  flight  this  species  are  even  more  rapid  and  graceful 
than  the  chimney  swifts,  rarely  if  ever  alighting  on  the 
ground  or  in  trees. 

Their  food  consists  of  small  insects  caught  in  their 
large  mouths  while  flying  swiftly  through  the  air. 

486.    AMERICAN    RAVEN.  —  Carmu  corax  sinuatus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Crows,  Jays,  Magpies,  etc. 

Length:  21.50-26.00. 

Adults:  Entire  plumage  iridescent  black,  with  purple  and  green  lights  ; 

leathers  of  the  throat  lanceolate,  distinct  from  one  another  ;  feathers 

of  the  neck  dull  gray  at  the  base. 
Geographical  Distribution :  From  the  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Pacific ; 

from  Canada  to  Guatemala. 
Breeding  Range:  Southern  California  and  islands  adjacent.     Recorded 

north  to  Red  Bluff  and  Humboldt  Bay. 
Breeding  Season  :  March  15  to  June  1. 
Nest :  Bulky  structure  ;  of  coarse  sticks  ;  lined  with  bark,  wool,  or  goats' 

hair ;  placed  in  trees  or  on  cliffs  according  to  locality,  which  is  always 

inaccessible. 
Eggs:  5  to  7  ;  thickly  spotted  with  brown,  purple,  and  gray.     Size  1.92 

X  1.27. 

THROUGHOUT  the  coast  district  of  California,  "  wher- 
ever tall  bare  cliffs  rise  from  the  valleys  and  deep,  steep- 


406  LAND  BIRDS 

walled  canons  cut  into  the  mountain  ranges,  the  hoarse 
croaking  of  the  Raven  echoes  back  from  cliff  and  wall." 
You  may  watch  him  soaring  through  the  canons  or  over 
the  barren  valleys  with  his  mate,  but  to  study  his  nest- 
ing habits  at  close  range  would  require  the  cunning  of  a 
Mephistopheles.  Two  or  three  hundred  feet  above  the 
valley,  and  from  thirty  to  fifty  below  the  top  of  the  cliff, 
on  a  narrow  ledge  of  rock,  sheltered  by  the  overhanging 
mass,  is  the  place  he  has  chosen  to  build  his  nest  and 
rear  his  young.  More  inaccessible  than  an  eagle's  eyrie, 
few  care  to  investigate  it.  Thus  secure  from  human 
interference,  year  after  year  the  pair  return  to  it  when 
the  winter  rains  have  given  way  to  spring  sunshine  and 
all  the  birds  of  the  air  are  seeking  their  mates.  But  the 
Raven,  having  chosen  once,  remains  mated  for  life ;  and 
the  nest,  once  built,  serves  for  all  his  broods.  A  few 
more  sticks  to  strengthen  it,  a  little  fresh  wool  or  hair 
to  line  it,  some  strong  new  rootlets  to  keep  the  inner 
cup  in  shape,  and  the  cradle  is  ready.  In  it  are  laid 
five,  six,  or  seven  large  eggs,  greenish,  mottled  with 
shades  of  brown,  purple,  and  pinkish ;  and  both  the  birds 
brood  alternately  until,  in  twenty-one  days,  the  nestlings 
emerge  from  the  shells.  They  are  not  handsome  babies, 
being  naked  and  of  a  sickly  greenish  hue,  as  if  they  had 
been  long  dead  and  had  become  mummified,  but  they 
are  the  objects  of  great  devotion  on  the  part  of  both 
parents.  One  or  the  other  is  constantly  near  them,  on 
the  lookout  for  danger,  and  ready  to  act  as  a  decoy 
to  any  aspiring  investigator.  Meanwhile  the  other  has 
slipped  down  to  the  valley  or  beach  for  food.  It  may 


BLACK   OR   IRIDESCENT  BLACK  407 

be  dead  fish,  or  snakes,  or  lizards,  or  small  mammals. 
Or  it  may  be  the  eggs  or  nestlings  of  other  birds  ;  for 
the  Raven  is  a  cannibal  as  well  as  a  thief.  Young 
chickens  from  the  farmyard,  young  quails  from  the 
valleys,  or  young  gulls  from  the  cliff  are  equally  prized 
in  the  Raven  menu.  His  appearance  in  any  neighbor- 
hood creates  as  much  consternation  among  the  feathered 
folk  as  does  a  hawk,  and  with  even  more  reason. 

In  about  four  weeks  the  young  are  ready  for  flight, 
and  their  depredations  begin  under  the  training  of  the 
adults.  They  learn  to  sit  in  watchful  silence  on  the 
rock  where  the  cormorant  has  her  nest  and  at  the  first 
opportunity  snatch  the  eggs  or  newly  hatched  young ;  to 
pick  up  clams  and  drop  them  from  a  height  on  the 
stones,  in  order  to  break  the  hard  shells ;  to  trace  dead 
flesh  by  a  sixth  sense,  and  call  their  brothers  to  the 
banquet.  They  also  learn  to  splash  in  the  clear,  cold 
water  of  the  mountain  stream  or  lake  until  every  black 
feather  stands  out  for  itself  like  a  quill.  When  they  rise 
so  wet  and  shiny  from  this  bath  in  the  early  morning 
sunlight,  they  look  like  white  birds,  and  they  have  fooled 
me  more  than  once,  until  their  loud,  hoarse  croak  from 
the  far  distance  betrayed  them. 

Soon  after  the  young  are  able  to  forage  for  themselves, 
the  family  usually  disappears  from  the  breeding  locality 
to  some  valley  where  food  is  more  easily  obtainable. 
Here,  after  a  few  weeks,  they  separate,  the  youngsters 
going  about  alone  and  the  adult  pair  remaining  together. 
Throughout  the  winter  and  early  spring  they  haunt  the 
ranches  of  the  more  southern  regions  and  interior  valleys, 


408  LAND   BIRDS 

walking  with  comical  dignity  over  the  ground,  chasing 
each  other  merrily  through  the  air,  tumbling,  somersault- 
ing, and  even  trying  to  fly  on  their  backs,  according  to 
Major  Bendire.  Their  ordinary  call  is  a  loud  "  craack- 
craack  "  or  a  deep  grunting  "  koerr-koerr."  Occasionally 
during  the  early  spring  they  attempt  to  sing  in  low 
gurgling  notes  a  sort  of  monologue  in  monotone,  as  it 
were,  but  evidently  expressive  of  their  undying  affection, 
and  well  understood  by  the  mate  for  whose  ears  alone  it 
is  intended. 


48a    WESTERN    CROW.  —  Corvus  brachyrkynchos  hcspcris. 
FAMILY  :  The  Crows,  Jays,  Magpies,  etc. 

Length:  17.00-21.00. 

Adulti:  Entire  plumage  glossy  black,  with  purple  lights. 

Geographical  Distribution:    Western  North  America,   north  to  British 

Columbia,  except  coast  of  Washington. 

Breeding  Range :  In  California,  interior  valleys,  also  coastwise  locally. 
Breeding  Season  :  February  20  to  June  1 . 
Xest :  In  trees,  from  6  to  40  feet  from  the  ground  ;  bulky  ;  composed  of 

sticks  and  other  coarse  material ;  lined  with  fibre,  grass,  leaves,  or 

hair,  the  lining  being  well  quilted  together. 
Eggs:  4  to  8 ;  olive-green,  irregularly  marked  with  spots  and  blotches  of 

brown  and  gray  and  sometimes  lavender.     Size  1.65  X  1.15. 

NORTH,  south,  east,  or  west,  wherever  found,  the 
Crow  is  the  same  jolly  black  rascal.  He  may  vary  some- 
what in  size ;  his  plumage  may  be  duller,  as  claimed,  on 
the  Pacific  Coast ;  he  may  forsake  the  tall  trees  and 
build  on  the  ground,  as  he  is  said  to  do  in  British  Colum- 
bia ;  but  his  well-known  "caw,  caw,"  has  the  same 
derisive  inflection,  and  rooks  present  the  same  weird 
combination  of  black  forms  silhouetted  against  the 


BLACK   OR  IRIDESCENT   BLACK  409 

evening  sky.  From  these  roosts  at  daylight  each  morn- 
ing the  entire  company  scatter  over  the  country  in 
search  of  food,  undoubtedly  covering  many  miles  in  their 
flight,  but  each  one  finding  his  way  back  to  spend  the 
hours  of  darkness  in  the  additional  safety  that  community 
gives. 

As  to  the  economic  value  of  the  Crow  opinions  differ. 
In  California,  acorns,  beechnuts,  berries  of  various 
shrubs  and  trees,  seeds  and  all  kinds  of  fruit,  with  in- 
sects such  as  locusts,  black  beetles,  crickets,  grasshoppers, 
spiders,  cutworms,  angleworms,  and  injurious  larvso  form 
a  large  part  of  his  daily  menu.  In  addition  small  mam- 
mals and  snakes,  frogs,  lizards,  snails,  crawfish,  fish,  all 
kinds  of  dead  flesh,  and  the  eggs  or  nestlings  of  other 
birds  are  his  victims.  It  is  very  disheartening  to  become 
interested  in  watching  some  brood  of  song  birds  develop, 
and  then  to  find  some  morning  that  the  crow  has  made 
a  breakfast  on  them.  And  the  farmer  who  finds  his 
cornfield  ravaged  or  his  young  chicks  devoured  by  a 
flock  of  the  thieves  feels  a  righteous  anger  in  his  heart 
against  the  spoilers.  The  fact  that  all  feathered  crea- 
tures are  arrayed  against  him  is  proof  to  me  that,  from 
the  bird-lover's  standpoint,  he  does  more  harm  than 
good. 

The  California  species  is  said  to  build  much  nearer  the 
ground  than  his  Eastern  relative,  his  nest  being  rarely 
over  twenty  feet  up  and  from  that  down  to  five  or  six 
feet.  My  own  records  are,  however,  that  nests  lower 
than  thirty  feet  are  rare  even  in  the  West.  The  struc- 
ture itself  is  identical  with  that  of  the  Eastern  crow,  and 


410  LAND  BIRDS 

is  always  surprisingly  well  lined  and  deeper  than  would 
naturally  be  judged  from  the  side  view.  Eggs  are  laid 
in  April  most  frequently,  and,  since  incubation  lasts  nine- 
teen or  twenty  days,  the  young  usually  make  their  ap- 
pearance about  the  first  of  May.  They  are  naked  and 
blind,  of  an  ugly  greenish  hue,  and  very  repulsive  to 
look  at.  Only  one  brood  is  raised  in  a  season,  and  the 
remaining  summer  months  are  devoted  to  the  training  of 
these  nestlings.  At  the  end  of  two  weeks  they  appear 
at  the  edge  of  the  nest,  looking  out  over  the  sunny 
slopes  with  unwinking  blue  eyes.  From  this  time  until 
they  leave,  when  three  and  a  half  weeks  old,  they  are 
very  restless.  Little  wings  are  constantly  stretched  and 
flapped,  uncertain  little  legs  are  trained  to  balance  the 
heavy  body,  bills  grow  strong  by  tearing  the  food,  and 
before  the  day  for  venturing  out  into  the  great  unfriendly 
world  has  come,  they  have  learned  much.  What  yet 
remains  for  them  to  learn  the  adults  will  teach  them  day 
by  day.  Instinct  plays  a  far  smaller  part  in  their  cun- 
ning than  we  have  long  been  taught  to  believe,  and  even 
in  crow  education  it  is  the  example  of  the  adults  that 
teaches  the  helpless  young  what  to  do  and  how  to  do  it. 
Let  anyone  who  doubts  this  course  of  training,  or  is  in- 
clined to  consider  that  this  opinion  is  founded  on  senti- 
ment and  not  on  science,  watch  the  development  of  a 
family  of  young  crows. 


BLACK   OR   IRIDESCENT   BLACK  411 

495.    COWBIRD.  —  Molothrus  ater. 
FAMILY  :  The  Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  7.75-8.25  ;  female  7.25-7.75. 

Adult  Male:  Head,  neck,  and  chest  uniform  brownish  ;  rest  of  plumage 

glossy  black,  with  a  greenish  reflection,  changing  to  purplish  on  back. 
Adult  Female:  Plumage  plain  brownish  gray,  darker  on  upper  parts, 

paler  on  chin  and  throat. 
Young:   Upper  parts  dull  brownish  gray,  feathers  bordered  with  pale 

buffy  ;   under  parts  dull  light  buffy,  broadly  streaked  with  grayish 

brown. 
Geographical   Distribution :   United   States  and  more  southern   British 

Provinces  ;  south  in  winter  to  Southern  Mexico.     Irregular  winter 

visitant  in  California. 

Eggs:  8  to  12.     Deposited  in  nests  of  other  birds  ;  whitish,  whole  sur- 
face covered  with  brown  specks  and  blotches,  usually  heaviest  at  the 

larger  end.     Size  0.88  X  0.64. 

AMONG  the  great  herds  on  the  plains  of  the  Middle 
West  Cowbirds  are  found  in  great  abundance.  Perched 
on  the  backs  of  cattle,  they  search  industriously  for 
insects,  and  in  the  waterless  regions  may  prove  a  great 
blessing  to  the  poor  creatures  tormented  with  heat 
and  flies.  If  so,  it  is  the  one  thing  to  be  said  in  com- 
mendation of  a  bird  universally  despised.  Unmusical, 
its  only  note  is  a  screeching  call.  It  is  the  sneak  of  the 
feathered  world  and  hated  by  all  the  rest.  Too  lazy  to 
build  for  herself,  the  female  lays  her  eggs  in  the  most 
convenient  nest  whose  owners  happen  to  be  away.  Her 
ugly  nestling  is  larger  and  grows  faster  than  his  adoptive 
brothers,  and  soon  succeeds  either  in  hoisting  them  out 
of  the  nest,  smothering  them  in  it,  or  starving  them  by 
seizing  all  the  food  in  spite  of  the  parents'  efforts  to 
divide  evenly.  For  every  Cowbird  reared  a  brood  of 


412  LAND   BIRDS 

song  birds  or  insect-eating  birds  has  been  sacrificed,  and 
Californians  are  to  be  congratulated  that  as  yet  the 
Cowbird  is  only  an  irregular  winter  visitant  to  the  south- 
eastern corner  of  their  State. 


510.  BREWER    BLACKBIRD.  —  Euphagus 
cijanocephalus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc. 

Length:  8.75-10.25. 

Adult  Male:  Uniform  glossy  greenish  black;  head  and  neck  purplish 
black. 

Adult  Female :  Upper  parts  brownish  slate;  head  and  neck  brownish 
gray,  faintly  glossed  with  purple  ;  wings  and  tail  glossed  with  metal- 
lic bluish  green  ;  under  parts  brownish  gray  faintly  glossed  with  green. 

Young:  Similar  to  female,  but  paler  and  without  gloss. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  North  America,  north  to  British 
Columbia  ;  east  to  Minnesota  and  Nebraska ;  south  to  Lower  Cali- 
fornia. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Below  Boreal  zone,  nearly  throughout  the 
State. 

Breeding  Season:  April  15  to  July  1. 

Nest:  Placed  in  low  trees  or  bushes,  not  over  8  feet  from  the  ground  ; 
rather  bulky  ;  made  of  sticks,  plant  stalks,  grass,  shreds  of  bark,  dry 
grass,  and  moss,  generally  cemented  with  earth  or  manure  ;  lined 
with  fine  rootlets,  horsehair,  and  dry  grass. 

Eggs :  4  to  6  ;  pale  gray  or  greenish  white,  profusely  blotched,  marbled, 
streaked,  and  spotted  with  irregularly  shaped  markings  of  brown  and 
lavender.  Size  0.96  X  0.71. 

THE  purple  grackle  of  the  East  is  replaced  throughout 
California  by  the  Brewer  Blackbird,  which  closely  resem- 
bles the  Eastern  species.  It  is  a  trifle  smaller,  with 
blue  rather  than  purple  iridescence  on  its  black  plumage, 
especially  about  the  head  and  throat,  but  has  the  same 
conspicuous  yellow  iris  as  its  kinsfolk.  In  habits  these 


BLACK   OR   IRIDESCENT  BLACK  413 

birds  differ  from  the  other  California  blackbirds  in  being 
found  less  often  in  the  lowland  marshes  or  tule  swamps. 
Abundant  throughout  the  State,  they  breed  chiefly  be- 
tween the  highest  altitudes  and  three  thousand  feet 
above  sea  level.  Their  choice  of  a  building  site  is  varied. 
In  Lower  California  they  have  been  found  nesting  in 
pine ;  in  western  Oregon  they  sometimes  choose  an  old 
woodpecker's  hole  one  hundred  feet  from  the  ground ; 
while  in  the  same  State  nests  have  been  found  on  the 
ground,  the  rim  being  flush  with  the  surface.  At  Del 
Monte  a  colony  nested  in  the  top  of  a  group  of  tree 
yuccas,  and  at  Tallac,  on  Lake  Tahoe,  I  found  them  nest- 
ing on  the  rotten  piles  of  an  abandoned  pier.  In  com- 
pany with  them  were  tree  swallows ;  and  one  pair  of 
fearless  feathered  mites,  known  as  pygmy  nuthatches, 
had  excavated  a  home  in  a  leaning  pile  that  towered 
above  the  rest.  In  a  low,  broken  post  that  raised  its 
crumbling  top  scarcely  two  feet  from  the  water  a  mother 
Blackbird  brooded  day  after  day,  entirely  exposed  to 
view,  close  to  a  pier  where  children  played.  Strangest 
of  all,  the  post  was  the  customary  mooring  place  of  a 
rowboat,  the  loop  of  rope  being  removed  and  replaced 
several  times  daily,  and  always  rubbing  the  nest  as  it  was 
passed  over.  Yet  the  mother  bird  refused  to  leave  it, 
and  only  flattened  her  body  and  crouched  in  terror  as 
the  rope  was  lifted.  After  the  little  ones  were  hatched, 
June  8,  her  distress  increased,  for  now  a  careless  move 
of  the  boatman  might  easily  overthrow  them  into  the 
water.  One  or  other  of  the  anxious  parents  sat  on  a 
splintered  point  of  the  post  just  over  the  nest  and 


414  LAND  BIRDS 

scolded  from  morning  until  night  in  loud  "chacks," 
watching  all  who  came  and  went  in  the  vicinity. 

Worms,  slugs,  black  beetles,  wingless  crickets,  grass- 
hoppers, and  dragonflies  were  given  to  the  young  at  the 
rate  of  sixteen  in  twenty  minutes,  distributed  among  the 
four,  —  not  so  large  an  average  as  in  the  case  of  most 
young  birds,  but  there  was  but  one  parent  to  forage. 
For  the  first  three  days,  at  least,  the  food  was  first 
swallowed  by  the  adult  and  afterwards  given  to  the 
young  by  regurgitation,  but  after  that  they  were  fed  on 
the  fresh  insects. 

The  nestlings  were  a  soft  pinky  gray  when  they  first 
broke  their  shells,  and  the  second  day  developed  thin 
mouse-colored  down  on  head  and  back.  In  five  days 
their  eyes  opened,  and  the  lines  of  submerged  pinfeathers 
were  plainly  visible.  On  the  twelfth  day  the  little 
feathered  ends  had  burst  through  the  sheaths.  And 
now  began  an  alarming  process  of  stretching  and  pecking 
and  wriggling,  —  alarming  because  in  this  case  it  seemed 
as  though  the  nestlings  must  be  crowded  out  into  the 
cold  water  below.  But  none  of  them  ever  was  so 
crowded,  and  after  nearly  three  weeks  in  the  nest  they 
flew  out  into  some  low  bushes  on  the  shore.  Here  they 
were  fed  by  both  parents  for  some  days  longer,  being 
coaxed  into  the  woods  near  by  and  cared  for  devotedly 
until  they  had  learned  to  forage  for  themselves. 

As  soon  as  the  young  are  able  to  take  the  trip  the 
flocks  of  Brewer  Blackbirds  pass  on  to  other  feeding 
grounds.  In  August  and  September  they  are  found  in 
the  high  Sierra  Nevada  mountains  and  also  on  the  ocean 


BLACK   OR  IRIDESCENT  BLACK  415 

beach,  so  it  seems  to  be  a  mere  matter  of  caprice  whether 
they  go  to  the  mountains  or  the  seashore  for  the  hot 
weather.  Later  they  congregate  for  the  winter  in  the 
interior  valleys  near  the  farms  and  stockyards,  where 
they  pick  up  food  like  so  many  sparrows.  In  the  spring 
they  forage  at  the  heels  of  the  ploughman  or  among  the 
herds. 

Throughout  the  summer,  fall,  and  winter  their  call- 
note  has  been  a  typical  Blackbird  "  tchaak,"  uttered  with 
a  flirt  of  the  tail  plainly  showing  displeasure.  But  when 
the  rains  cease  and  spring  calls  them  to  woo  and  win 
their  mates,  their  little  black  throats  ruffle  with  song. 
More  energetic  than  musical,  it  may  be ;  but  heard  as  a 
chorus  it  is  so  full  of  enthusiasm  as  to  make  one  forget 
its  lack  of  harmony.  The  epithet  of  "  wheelbarrow 
chorus,"  applied  by  Mr.  Burroughs  to  the  song  of  its 
Eastern  kin,  is  just  as  appropriate  west  of  the  Rockies 
and  fits  the  case  exactly. 


611  a.    WESTERN    MARTIN.  —  Progne  subis  hesperia. 
FAMILY  :  The  Swallows. 

Length:  7.25-8.50. 

Adult  Male :  Entire  plumage  uniform  glossy  blue-black  ;  wings  and  tail 
black  ;  tail  decidedly  forked. 

Adult  Female:  Upper  parts  duller  and  color  less  continuous  ;  forehead 
and  crown  light  gray  ;  feathers  of  back  and  rump  conspicuously  edged 
with  grayish  or  pale  brown  ;  bend  of  wing  and  under  coverts  mottled 
profusely  with  whitish  ;  anterior  under  parts  and  nuchal  collar  gray- 
ish white  ;  belly  and  under  tail-coverts  white. 

Young:  Similar  to  adult  female. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  region,  from  Oregon  south 
through  California  and  Arizona  to  Lower  California. 


416  LAND  BIRDS 

California  Breeding  Range:  Chiefly  in  Transition  zone,  from  latitude  40° 

southward. 

Breeding  Season :  June. 
Nest:  Generally  placed  in  eaves  and  cornices  of  buildings,  or  in  boxes 

specially  prepared  for  them;  composed  of  a  large  variety  of  materials, 

—  leaves,  twigs,  straws,  string,  rags,  etc. 
Eggs:  4  to  5  ;  pure  glossy  white.     Size  0.98  X  0.73. 

THE  Western  Martin  is  in  some  ways  less  progressive 
than  his  Eastern  relative,  the  purple  martin,  for  he  still 
builds  largely  in  hollow  trees.  Instead  of  the  familiar 
friend  we  know  as  circling  over  our  lawns,  nesting  in 
bird  boxes,  or  in  holes  under  the  house  cornice,  and  so 
tame  that  we  may  lift  the  mother  from  her  nestlings 
without  frightening  hei>  we  find  in  the  Western  species 
a  forest-loving  bird.  Occasionally  these  Martins  are 
abundant  about  a  town  or  farm  building,  but  it  is  usually 
because  some  especial  pains  have  been  taken  to  attract 
them,  and  often  because  the  first  pair  of  birds  were 
taken  when  young  and  have  become  domesticated.  They 
are  the  same  care-free,  merry  chatterers  as  the  purple 
martin,  circling  on  tireless  wings  throughout  the  swarms 
of  insects  in  the  air,  turning,  darting,  and  rising  with 
marvellous  grace  and  swiftness. 

Besides  small  insects  they  are  fond  of  beetles  and 
butterflies,  and  doubtless  they  rid  the  farmer  of  many 
injurious  pests  wherever  the  birds  can  be  induced  to 
colonize.  Under  whatever  circumstances  they  are  found 
they  are  sociable  little  birds  among  themselves,  never 
nesting  in  single  pairs,  and  when  together  keeping  up  a 
sweet  twittering  song. 

One  looks  at  the  nestling  and  at  the  egg  in  amaze- 
ment that  so  much  bird  could  ever  have  come  from  so 


GREEN,   GREENISH    GRAY,   AND   OLIVE    417 

small  a  shell.  During  the  first  week  they  double  iu 
weight  every  twenty-four  hours,  and  at  the  end  of  four 
days,  although  still  blind  and  naked,  weigh  as  much  as 
a  canary.  Most  of  the  food  is  given  them  by  regurgita- 
tion  so  long  as  they  remain  in  the  nest.  They  are 
slow  in  developing,  and  do  not  fly  until  nearly  four 
weeks  old. 

PLUMAGE  GREEN,  GREENISH  GRAY,  AND  OLIVE 

429.  BLACK-CHINNED  HUMMINGBIRD.— ArcUlochm 
alexandri. 

FAMILY  :  The  Hummingbirds. 

Lcnyth:  Male  3.30-3.75  ;  female  3.90-4.10. 

Adult  Male :  Upper  parts  metallic  greenish  ;  under  parts  whitish,  washed 
with  green  on  the  sides  ;  chin  and  throat  velvety  black,  bordered  be- 
low by  a  broad  band,  metallic  purple,  green,  and  blue. 

Adult  Female:  Upper  parts  bronzy;  under  parts  light  grayish;  tail 
much  rounded,  with  middle  feathers  green,  next  two  tipped  with 
black,  next  three  tipped  with  white. 

Young:  Similar  to  adult  female,  but  feathers  of  the  upper  parts  mar- 
gined with  buffy. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  United  States,  east  to  Rocky 
Mountains,  south  over"  table-lands  of  Mexico. 

Breeding  Range:  From  British  Columbia  south  to  Lower  California,  and 
from  the  Pacific  to  the  Eocky  Mountains,  chiefly  in  the  upper  Sonoran  . 
zone. 

Breeding  Season:  May  1  to  August  15. 

Nest :  In  trees  or  bushes,  4  to  7  feet  from  the  ground ;  of  buffy  plant 
down  covered  with  spider's  web. 

Eggs:  2  or  3  ;  white.     Size  0.50  X  0.32. 

IN  some  localities  the  Black-chinned  Hummingbird  is 
known  as  the  Purple-throated  Hummer,  and  this  seems 
to  describe  him  about  as  well  as  his  more  common  name, 
for  just  below  the  black  chin  is  a  band  of  iridescent 


418 


LAND   BIRDS 


purple  that  at  once  attracts  attention  as  he  sits  sunning 
himself  on  a  low  twig.  He  is  abundant  throughout 
Southern  California,  but  especially  so  at  Tia  Juana  on 
the  Mexican  border  and  from  there  to  San  Diego,  among 
the  hills  back  from  the  coast.  No  very  definite  breeding 
range  can  be  given  him,  for  he  is  a  capricious  little 
creature,  abundant  in  one  locality  and  rare  or  unknown 
in  another  that  seems  in  climate  and  surroundings  to  be 

identical  with  the 
one  he  has  chosen. 
Whether  in  the  low 
hot  valleys  about 
the  Colorado  Des- 
ert, or  in  the  Se- 
quoia National  Park 
at  an  altitude  of 
nine  thousand  feet, 
he  builds  his  home 
and  rears  his  young 
in  gay  indifference  to  climatic  conditions.  Nor  does  he 
seem  to  have  any  especial  favorites  among  the  flowers  ; 
and  this,  I  believe,  is  because  his  food  is  so  largely  insects. 
I  have  found  him  hovering  over  the  bells  of  the  Yucca 
more  frequently  than  anywhere  else,  though  at  Tia 
Juana  he  was  darting  into  the  blossoms  of  the  species 
of  cactus  so  commonly  domesticated  by  the  Mexicans 
and  used  to  brew  a  native  drink.  On  one  of  these  low 
plants  a  pair  had  built  their  nest  in  a  crotch  of  the 
prickly  leaves.  It  was  composed  of  buify  plant  down 
and  covered  with  webs  and  something  that  looked  like 


429.   BLACK-CHINNED 
HUMMINGBIRD. 


"  Lit  daintily  a  few  inches 
away." 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,   AND   OLIVE     419 

the  thread  of  the  Yucca.  The  mother  was  sitting ;  the 
nest  was  inside  the  garden  fence  ;  a  fierce  dog  guarded 
the  premises,  and  the  Mexican  family  were  away  cele- 
brating a  church  holiday.  I  could  only  admire  from  a 
distance,  and,  being  unable  to  drive  the  mother  from  her 
post,  did  not  ascertain  whether  eggs  or  young  were  the 
objects  of  her  care.  There  was  no  question  of  identi- 
fication, though  Costa's  hummingbird  is  more  apt  to 
build  on  cactus  than  this  species.  Another  nest,  found 
in  the  alders  of  a  dry  river  bed,  was  quite  unlike  the 
first,  and  but  for  the  father,  who,  contrary  to  humming- 
bird etiquette,  sat  within  two  feet  of  the  brooding 
mother,  I  would  not  have  attributed  it  to  this  species. 
The  male  was  discovered  first,  and  allowed  me  to  walk 
up  close  to  him  before  he  took  flight.  In  turning  to 
follow  him,  I  brushed  against  the  branch  on  which  the 
nest  clung,  and  the  female  flew  off  just  above  my  eyes. 
There  were  in  the  nest  two  newly  hatched  young,  less 
than  an  inch  long,  and  a  third  egg,  probably  a  runt. 
The  tiny  cradle  was  woven  of  a  pithy  dark  buff  material 
that  looked  like  the  punk  used  by  dentists,  and  was 
ornamented  on  the  outside  with  willow  buds.  The 
question  at  once  arose  as  to  why  this  bird,  building 
among  the  alders,  had  not  used  the  willow  down  for  its 
nest,  as  had  the  one  who  built  in  the  cactus.  A  diligent 
search  failed  to  reveal  the  source  of  the  building  material, 
and  although  I  have  since  found  several  nests  composed 
of  it,  I  do  not  know  where  it  is  obtained. 

Like  that  of  his  Eastern  cousin,  the  ruby-throated,  as 
well  as  four  varieties  of  California  hummers,  the  wooing 


420  LAND   BIRDS 

of  the  alexandri  is  well  worth  watching.  Should  you 
spy  a  male,  swinging  sidewise  back  and  forth  through 
the  air,  pendulum,  fashion,  look  for  the  dainty  little  lady 
on  a  twig  about  three  feet  in  front  of  and  a  little  above 
him.  So  absorbed  is  she  in  watching  and  he  in  perform- 
ing this  curious  aerial  dance,  that  neither  will  notice 
you.  Sometimes  at  its  finish  he  will  drop  exhausted  on 
any  perch  near  and  pay  no  further  attention  to  her,  but 
oftener  I  have  seen  her  dart  out  into  the  sunlight  as 
a  signal  for  him  to  follow,  and  a  merry  chase  through 
the  blossoms  followed.  Once,  as  he  sat  resting  after  his 
graceful  and  apparently  effortless  swinging,  the  female 
flew  toward  him,  lit  daintily  a  few  inches  away,  and 
quivered  her  iridescent  wings.  Instantly  both  birds 
were  in  the  air  apparently  engaged  in  a  mortal  combat, 
and  then  he  was  back  upon  the  perch  like  a  flash  of 
light,  while  she  had  disappeared.  I  have  never  seen  the 
male  Hummer  assist  at  the  nest  building,  and  believe  all 
the  family  cares  are  left  to  the  female.  She  is  larger 
and  better  equipped  for  labor  than  the  brilliant  little 
sprite  who  wooes  her. 

430.   COSTA   HUMMINGBIRD.  —  Calypte  costce. 
FAMILY  :  The  Hummingbirds. 

Length:  Male  2.75-3.20  ;  female  3.55-3.70. 

Adult  Male:  Head  and  flaring  ruff  brilliantly  burnished  metallic  ame- 
thyst violet,  changing  to  blue  and  green  ;  rest  of  upper  parts  bronze- 
green  ;  under  parts  whitish  ;  belly  washed  with  green. 

Adult  Female:  Upper  parts  bronzy  green  ;  under  parts  whitish;  throat 
spotted  with  metallic  purple. 

Young:  Similar  to  female,  but  duller  and  with  feathers  of  the  upper 
parts  margined  with  buffy. 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,   AND   OLIVE    421 

Geographical  Distribution:  Lower  California,  Southern  California,  Ari- 
zona, and  Western  Mexico. 

Breeding  Range:  In  southern  part  of  California,  both  east  and  west  of 
the  Sierra  Nevada. 

Breeding  Season :  On  desert  side  of  mountains,  breeds  in  February ;  on 
the  coast  side,  in  May. 

Nest:  Of  plant  down  or  fine  shreds  of  vegetable  fibre;  lined  with 
feathers,  and  covered  with  lichen,  bark,  and  leaves ;  fastened  in 
place  by  spider  web.  On  bushes,  1  to  6  feet  from  ground. 

Eggs:  2;  white.     Size  0.48  X  0.31. 

THE  Costa  Hummingbird  is  a  haunter  of  the  desert 
plains  and  barren  mountain  ranges  of  Southeastern  Cali- 
fornia, where  it  nests  in  the  branching  cactus.  On  May 
16  a  nest  containing  one  egg  was  discovered  on  a  low 
branch  of  a  willow  five  feet  from  the  ground.  The 
mother  was  brooding,  and  refused  to  leave  until  forced 
to  do  so.  The  next  morning  there  were  two  tiny  white 
eggs.  Incubation  lasted  thirteen  days,  the  young  emerg- 
ing from  the  shell  on  the  twenty-ninth.  At  first  they 
were  very  tiny,  naked,  grayish  bits  of  bird  life  with  black 
skinny  knobs  for  eyes,  more  like  worms  than  humming- 
birds ;  but  they  grew  surprisingly  fast,  and  at  the  end 
of  the  fourth  day  were  covered  with  yellowish  white 
down  on  their  backs  and  tops  of  their  heads.  By  the 
sixth  day  this  had  spread  to  the  wings  and  rump,  the 
edges  of  the  former  began  to  show  dark  lines  of  needle- 
like  points  where  the  pinfeathers  were  coming  through. 
On  the  eighth  day  they  had  more  than  quadrupled  in 
size,  were  darker  in  color,  and  were  commencing  to  push 
pinfeathers  through  the  down.  On  the  twelfth  day  they 
seemed  like  miniature  adults,  for  they  were  covered  with 
greenish  feathers,  the  hair-like  down  still  sticking  out  in 
spots  on  the  crown  and  back,  but  the  plumage  showing 


422  LAND   BIRDS 

some  glints  of  the  metallic  lustre  of  the  adults.  They 
began  to  sit  up,  preen  their  feathers,  and  stretch  their 
ludicrously  small  wings.  On  the  seventeenth  day  one 
perched  on  the  edge  of  the  nest  an  hour,  and  that  night 
the  mother  did  not  attempt  to  brood  them,  but  clung 
meekly  to  the  edge  as  close  as  they  would  allow  her  to 
come.  Evidently  they  "  resented  being  sat  upon,"  like 
the  ruby-throat  described  by  Mrs.  Olive  Thome  Miller. 
They  were  fed  entirely  by  regurgitation. 

During  this  time  the  father  bird  had  not  once  come 
near  the  nest,  but  on  the  seventeenth  day  an  -adult  male 
hovered  in  the  close  vicinity  and  was  repeatedly  driven 
off  by  the  mother.  Within  a  week  after  that  both 
youngsters  had  flown,  but  for  many  days  thereafter 
were  often  found  perching  on  small  twigs  in  the  sun- 
shine, motionless,  an  hour  at  a  time. 

The  nest  was  found  to  be  much  flattened  from  con- 
stant perching  upon  the  edges,  but  was  as  clean  as  when 
newly  built.  The  materials  used  were  plant  down  orna- 
mented on  the  outside  with  tiny  bits  of  gray  lichen  and 
small  dry  leaves,  bound  with  silk  from  cocoons.  Inside 
it  was  lined  with  a  few  tiny  feathers.  It  measured  one 
and  five-eighths  inches  across  the  top  and  three-quarters 
of  an  inch  deep  on  the  outside,  but  less  than  three- 
eighths  on  the  inside.  This  was  after  the  brood  had 
flown  and,  as  mentioned  before,  it  was  much  flattened. 
As  we  had  not  seen  it  built,  we  were  unable  to  judge 
whether  or  not  the  male  assists  in  the  construction,  but 
he  certainly  does  not  share  in  the  incubation  or  care  of 
the  young. 


GREEN,   GREENISH    GRAY,   AND   OLIVE     423 

431.     ANNA   HUMMINGBIRD.  —  Calypte annae. 
FAMILY  :  The  Hummingbirds. 

Length:  Male  3.40-3.60  ;  female  3.80-4.15. 

Adult  Male :  Top  of  head,  throat,  and  ruff  metallic  pink,  bronze,  and 

green  ;   upper  parts  and  middle  tail-feathers  iridescent  green ;   tail 

forked  ;  under  parts  white,  washed  with  green. 

Adult  Female:  Head  green,  like  upper  parts  ;  throat  spotted  with  pink. 
Young:  Similar  to  female,  but  tinged  with  brownish  on  upper  parts. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Central  and  Southern  California,  chiefly  west 

of  the  mountains,  Arizona,  and  Lower  California.     North  as  far  as 

Yrcka  and  Mt.  Shasta. 
California  Breeding  Range:  Upper  Sonoran  zone  west  of  the  Sierra 

Nevada. 

Breeding  Season:  January  to  June. 
Nest:  From  8  to  30  feet  from  the  ground  ;  of  thistledown  and  willow 

cotton  ;  lined  with  a  few  small  feathers ;  covered  on  the  outside  with 

moss,  well  covered  with  spider  webs,  with  here  and  there  pieces  of 

lichens. 
Eggs:  2  ;  white.     Size  0.50  X  0.32. 

A  HUMMINGBIRD  with  a  song  would  be  somewhat  of 
a  novelty  in  the  East,  but  in  California  it  is  so  commonly 
met  with  that  one  soon  forgets  to  wonder.  The  first 
time  I  heard  the  male  Anna  Hummingbird  sing,  he  was 
perched  upon  a  wire  clothes-line  and  squeaking  right 
merrily,  "  Te-nit,  te-nit,  te-wieu,  wieu,  wieu,"  repeating 
it  over  and  over  again.  This  charming  performance 
lasted  most  of  one  bright  May  morning  in  San  Jose*, 
and  when  later  I  discovered  a  little  mate  brooding  on  a 
nest  in  a  climbing  rose,  I  could  but  fancy  the  song  was 
for  her  benefit.  One  thing  I  know,  he  was  "  on  guard," 
for  whenever  I  ventured  near  the  rose  tree,  he  flew  at 
me  with  a  harsh  little  screech,  sometimes  right  into  my 
face.  When  I  found  him  away  from  the  vicinity  of  the 


424  LAND   BIRDS 

nest  he  would  allow  me  to  come  very  close  to  him,  so 
that  I  could  almost  touch  him  while  he  sat  in  unwinking 
silence  like  a  bud  on  the  moss  rose,  or  a  dead  bird  on  a 
hat.  The  tiny  green  mother  was  no  less  courageous,  and 
brooded  unmoved  while  I  watched  not  five  feet  away. 
When  the  little  ones  appeared  they  were  very  like  all 
the  small  hummingbirds  I  had  ever  seen  —  naked  except 
for  thin  down  on  back,  about  three-fourths  of  an  inch 
long  and  with  very  short  bills.  I  think  our  ruby-throat 
of  the  East  could  have  mistaken  them  for  her  own  but 


431.    ANNA  HUMMINGBIRD. 

"  Upon  a  wire  clothes-line,  and  squeaking  right  merrily." 

for  the  slightly  lighter  gray  hue  of  the  skin.  They  were 
fed  each  hour,  and  oftener,  by  regurgitation  ;  the  food 
given  was  small  gnats  and  spiders. 

It  was  astonishing  how  those  babies  grew  !  In  two 
days  they  had  doubled,  and  in  four  days  trebled  their 
original  size.  Dark,  hair-like  down  began  to  show  on 
crown,  spine,  and  shoulders.  In  twelve  days  feathers 
were  beginning  to  replace  the  down.  In  twenty-one 
days,  just  as  the  wing-stretching  and  restless  wriggling 
threatened  to  upset  the  wee  cradle,  they  popped  out  of 
the  nest  one  day  into  the  rosebush,  sat  there  an  hour 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,   AND   OLIVE    425 

or  two.  and  ventured  farther  into  the  world  of  flowers. 
The  mother  still  fed  them,  but  now  they  seemed  to  help 
themselves  from  her  bill  rather  than  to  have  the  food 
pumped  or  shaken  into  their  throats.  They  now  called 
in  the  squeaky  tones  of  a  young  mouse,  and  the  appeal 
never  failed  to  bring  the  mother  instantly  to  their  side. 
Although  I  have  been  interested  in  several  broods  from 
start  to  finish,  I  have  never  seen  one  of  the  eggs  hatch 
and  certainly  never  incubated  one.  Mr.  A.  W.  Anthony 
has  done  both,  and  has  described  the  process  so  well  that 
I  quote  it  entire  : 

"  A  nest  of  this  species  [Anna  Hummingbird]  was 
found  and  transferred,  eggs  and  all,  to  my  game  bag. 
An  hour  later  I  was  somewhat  disgusted  to  find  one  of 
the  eggs  pipped,  and  was  about  to  throw  it  away,  when 
a  movement  on  the  part  of  the  tiny  creature  in  the  shell 
suggested  that  I  hatch  the  egg  and  find  out  how  baby 
hummingbirds  come  into  the  world.  So  far  there  was  but 
a  pin  point  broken,  and  it  was  several  minutes  before  the 
warmth  of  my  hand  produced  another  movement  on 
the  part  of  the  prospective  hummer.  First  a  squirm  and 
the  point  of  the  bill  came  into  view  and  was  withdrawn  ; 
after  a  moment's  rest  there,  a  new  system  was  adopted 
which  consisted  of  a  turning  in  the  shell  from  right  to 
left,  and  cutting  a  clean,  smooth  opening  with  the  sharp 
horny  tip  on  the  upper  mandible.  This  was  hard  work 
and  required  all  the  strength  of  the  little  mite.,  and  fre- 
quent rests  were  necessary  to  recruit.  The  cutting  was 
all  done  in  the  same  direction,  and  after  about  ten  minutes 
I  was  obliged  to  turn  the  egg  over  in  my  hand  in  order 


426  LAND  BIRDS 

to  watch  the  proceeding,  as  by  that  time  the  opening 
had  been  cut  about  half-way  around,  bringing  the  chick's 
bill  directly  underneath  and  in  the  palm  of  my  hand. 
When  the  shell  had  been  cut  four-fifths  around,  the  chick 
succeeded  in  getting  one  claw  hooked  over  the  edge  of 
the  break,  and,  by  one  or  two  vigorous  pushes,  broke 
the  remaining  space,  leaving  in  my  hand  two  nearly  equal 
parts  of  what  had  been  a  hummingbird's  egg,  and  a 
squirming  something  that  bore  no  resemblance  whatever 
to  one  of  the  peerless  members  of  the  genus  Calypte. 
The  entire  operation  of  hatching  consumed  about  fifteen 
minutes." 


433.    RUFOUS   HUMMINGBIRD.—  Selaspkorus  rufus, 
FAMILY  :  The  Hummingbirds. 

Length:  Male  3.25-3.70  ;  female  3.50-3.90. 

Adult  Male:  Gorget  intensely  brilliant  flame-color,  with  orange  and 
green  lights;  rest  of  plumage  reddish  brown,  with  bronze-green  iri- 
descence on  crown  ;  a  light  band  across  the  breast  just  below  the 
gorget  ;  tail-feathers  rufous,  with  dusky  mesial  streaks. 

Adult  Female:  Upper  parts  reddish  brown  arid  bronze:  under  parts 
whitish,  washed  with  red  brown  on  the  sides ;  tail-feathers  reddish 
brown  for  basal  half;  middle  pair  green  extending  nearly  to  base  ;  the 
three  outer  feathers  tipped  with  white-,  and  banded  with  blackish  ; 
belly  white  ;  flanks  and  under  tail-coverts  light  reddish  brown. 

Young  Male :  Similar  to  adult  female,  but  upper  parts  light  reddish 
brown  and  darker  on  rump  ;  throat  with  a  few  bright  metallic  red 
feathers. 

Young  Female:  Similar  to  young  male,  but  rump  green  and  throat  dull 
green. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  North  America,  north  to  Alaska, 
east  to  Rocky  Mountains,  south  through  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range :  The  Boreal  zone  of  the  central  and  northern 
Sierra  Nevada. 

Breeding  Season :  March  to  August. 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,   AND   OLIVE    427 

Nest :  In  ferns,  bushes,  and  vines,  overhanging  embankments,  and  some- 
times in  trees  ;  made  of  plant  down,  covered  with  mosses  and  lichens. 
Eggs:  2  ;  white.     Size  0.50  X  0.33. 

THE  Rufous  Hummingbird,  also  known  as  Cinnamon, 
Nootka,  and  Rufous-backed,  is  the  most  widely  distrib- 
uted of  all  the  family  in  North  America.  It  is  found 
among  the  summer  flowers  of  Alaska,  and  is  common 
even  above  the  timber  line  in  the  southern  Sierra  Nevada. 
Longitudinally  it  ranges  from  the  east  slope  of  the  Rock- 
ies to  the  interior  valleys  of  the  sierras  and  in  some  places 
to  the  coast. 

In  Central  California  nesting  begins  in  March,  and  the 
dainty  structure  of  plant  down,  lined  with  cotton  down 
and  decorated  profusely  with  fine  mosses  and  bits  of 
lichen,  is  placed  on  the  horizontal  limb  of  a  tree  or  low 
bush.  Farther  north,  Mr.  Anthony  has  found  it  tucked 
away  in  unique  places,  —on  dry  roots  of  upturned  trees ; 
on  the  end  of  a  tall  fern  leaf  where  other  leaves,  drop- 
ping over  it,  effectually  hid  it ;  in  the  long  trailing  vines 
overhanging  embankments ;  on  the  sunny  side  of  rail- 
road cuts  ;  and  one  little  cradle  had  been  built  on  top 
of  a  last  year's  nest,  "  a  mere  rim  being  built  to  raise  the 
sides,  and  a  flooring  being  added  to  cover  up  a  large  peb- 
ble that  could  be  plainly  felt  under  the  cotton  lining." 

Three  years  ago  this  species  was  not  definitely  re- 
corded as  nesting  within  the  borders  of  California,  but 
Mr.  Grinnell  now  gives  it  as  breeding  in  the  Boreal  zone 
of  the  central  and  northern  Sierra  Nevada  mountains.  I 
have  found  it  in  June  at  Lake  Tahoe  when  there  could 
be  no  mistake  in  identification,  as  both  male  and  female 


428  LAND   BIRDS 

were  frequently  seen  in  motion  and  at  rest.  A  unique 
courtship  that  I  saw  was  even  more  ardent  than  that  of 
the  Anna  hummer.  Like  a  brilliantly  polished  bronze 
pendulum,  the  gallant  little  lover  swung  in  an  arc  of  two 
yards'  extent  back  and  forth  for  fully  three  minutes  be- 
fore his  coquettish  sweetheart.  Before  he  had  ceased 
she  darted  out  from  her  perch,  and  bill  to  bill  they 
whirled  far  up  in  the  air  until  they  looked  like  big 
beetles.  I  think  the  flight  must  have  taken  them  sixty 
feet  straight  up.  Then  back  they  came  and  alighted  two 
feet  apart  on  the  same  slender  dead  twigs.  Four  days 
after  this,  the  nest  was  discovered  on  the  branch  of  a 
low  shrub  in  a  very  marshy  place.  It  contained  one  egg 
June  11,  and  the  little  bronze  mother  had  begun  to  brood. 
Her  favorite  feeding  ground  was  twenty  feet  out  on  the 
marsh,  where  it  was  too  wet  for  me  to  follow,  but  she 
seemed  to  be  licking  insects  from  a  small  whitish  flower 
among  the  reeds.  Both  sexes  were  astonishingly  fear- 
less, following  a  little,  four-year-old  Indian  girl  back  and 
forth,  and  evidently  taking  her  red-gowned  figure  for  an 
animated  blossom. 

Although  so  tiny,  the  male  courageously  attacked  and 
drove  away  a  Brewer  blackbird  that  had  chanced  to 
alight  in  the  bush  containing  the  wee  nest.  This  black- 
bird was  nesting  in  a  hollow  post  which  stood  in  four 
feet  of  water  fifty  feet  from  the  bush.  His  usual  course 
in  leaving  his  nest  was  over  the  hummer's  bush,  and  the 
male  seldom  failed  to  dart  out  at  him  from  his  watch 
tower  near  by ;  but  whether  from  natural  pugnacity  or 
from  a  genuine  regard  for  the  safety  of  his  own  treasures, 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,   AND   OLIVE    429 

I  could  not  decide.  The  blackbird  did  not  resent  the 
assault,  but  seemed  to  endure  it  complacently,  as  the  big 
man  did  his  small  wife's  beating.  Unfortunately  I  was 
not  able  to  see  the  end  of  the  matter,  as  I  left  the  lo- 
cality on  June  16,  while  the  mother  was  still  brooding. 

This  pair  of  hummingbirds  did  what  I  have  seen  no 
others  do,  —  either  they  really  bathed,  or,  going  down  to 
the  surface  of  the  water  for  small  insects,  they  seemed  to 
be  bathing.  There  was  no  splashing,  but  they  hovered 
a  moment  on  the  surface  with  rapidly  beating  wings, 
wetting  their  feet  and  bellies ;  then  they  flew  away  and 
lit  on  a  sunny  perch  to  preen. 

434.   ALLEN   HUMMINGBIRD.  —  Selasphorus  alleni. 
FAMILY  :  The  Hummingbirds. 

Length:  Male  3.25-3.30  ;  female  3.40. 

Adult  Male :  Back  and  crown  bright  bronzy  green  ;  under  parts  reddish 
brown,  lightest  next  to  gorget ;  gorget  brilliant  flame-color,  changing 
to  orange  and  green. 

Adult  Female:  Similar  to  female  rufous.. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Coast  belt  from  Monterey  northward  to  Brit- 
ish Columbia  ;  migrant  through  Southern  California  ;  permanent  resi- 
dent on  Santa  Catalina  Island. 

California  Breeding  Range:  In  the  humid  coast  region  from  Monterey 
north  through  the  San  Francisco  Bay  district ;  also  on  Santa  Catalina. 

Breeding  Season :  February  to  August. 

Nest :  Cup-shaped,  small  in  diameter  and  deep  ;  made  of  plant  down  ; 
covered  with  spider  webs  and  bits  of  moss ;  placed  on  small  twigs, 
weed  stalks,  and  often  on  the  seed  pods  of  the  fine-leaved  eucalyptus. 

Eggs:  2;  white.     Size  0.55  X  0.35. 

THE  Allen  Hummingbird  is  only  a  summer  resident 
of  the  United  States,  spending  the  winter  months  over 
the  table-lands  of  Mexico.  It  breeds  wherever  resident, 
and  in  California  is  found  oftenest  along  the  coast  from 


430  LAND   BIRDS 

Monterey  northward.  So  far  as  I  can  ascertain,  it  is  the 
only  hummingbird  resident  on  Santa  Catalina  Island,  and 
it  was  the  only  species  I  found  there.  A  nest  of  this  spe- 
cies that  I  saw  was  built  on  the  pendent  twigs  of  the  fine- 
leaved  eucalyptus.  It  was  placed  on  top  of  a  bunch  of 
the  seed  pods  and  woven  to  them  with  fine  spider  web 
and  silk  from  cocoons.  Deeper  and  smaller  around  than 
any  other  I  have  seen,  it  measured  a  trifle  less  than  one 
and  a  half  inches  in  diameter  and  the  same  in  outside 
depth.  Inside,  the  cup  was  nearly  an  inch  in  depth. 
There  was  no  lining,  but  the  fibre  of  the  white  and  buffy 
plant  down  composing  it  was  more  apparent  and  less 
compact  than  is  usual  in  hummingbirds'  nests.  Outside, 
it  was  covered  with  bits  of  blossoms  and  strips  of  bark 
of  hair-like  fineness,  making  it  so  nearly  the  color  of  the 
grayish  green  seed  pods  that  only  an  accidental  discovery 
was  possible. 

These  hummingbirds  are  nervous,  pugnacious  little 
mites,  not  tolerating  any  other  species  near  them,  and 
more  or  less  quarrelsome  among  themselves;  nor  will 
the  female  allow  her  mate  to  come  near  the  nest  or  feed 
at  the  same  flower  patch  where  she  is  feasting.  They 
may  be  distinguished  from  the  rufous  by  the  bright 
metallic  green  of  the  back  as  well  as  by  the  difference  in 
their  breeding  range. 

Mr.  Charles  A.  Allen,  who  discovered  this  species  and 
in  whose  honor  it  has  been  named,  writes  of  it :  "  Their 
courage  is  beyond  question.  I  once  saw  two  of  these 
warriors  start  after  a  Western  red-tailed  hawk,  and  they 
attacked  it  so  vigorously  that  the  hawk  was  glad  to  get 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,   AND   OLIVE    431 

out  of  their  way.  And  these  little  scamps  were  not 
satisfied  even  then,  but  helped  him  long  after  he  had 
decided  to  go.  Each  male  seems  to  claim  a  particular 
range  which  he  occupies  for  feeding  and  breeding  pur- 
poses, and  every  other  bird  seen  by  him  encroaching  on 
his  preserve  is  at  once  determinedly  set  upon,  and  is 
only  too  glad  to  beat  a  hasty  retreat.  During  their 
quarrels  these  birds  keep  up  an  incessant  sharp  chirping 
and  a  harsh  rasping  buzzing  with  their  wings,  which 
sounds  very  different  from  the  low,  soft  humming  they 
make  with  these  while  feeding.  .  .  .  During  the  breed- 
ing season  the  male  frequently  shoots  straight  up  into 
the  air  and  nearly  out  of  sight,  only  to  turn  suddenly 
and  rush  headlong  down  until  within  a  few  feet  of  the 
ground.  The  wings  during  the  downward  rushes  cut 
the  air  and  cause  a  sharp  whistling  screech  as  they 
descend  with  frightful  rapidity,  and  should  they  strike 
anything  on  their  downward  course,  I  believe  they  would 
be  instantly  killed." 

436.    CALLIOPE   HUMMINGBIRD.—  Stellula  calliope. 
FAMILY  :  The  Hummingbirds. 

Length:  Male  3.00  ;  female  3.50. 

Adult  Male:  Gorget  pinkish  purple,  streaked  with  white;  upper  parts 

iridescent  green  ;  under  parts  white,  washed  with  brown  and  green  on 

the  sides  ;  tail-feathers  dusky. 
Adult  Female :  Upper  parts  bronzy  green  ;  tail  rounded  ;  tail-feathers, 

except  the  middle  pair,  tipped  with  white  and  banded  with  black  ; 

throat  whitish,  sometimes  spotted  centrally  with  dull  metallic  purple. 
Young :  Similar,  but  under  parts  washed  with  reddish  brown  and  throat 

speckled  with  darkish. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Mountainous  regions  of  Western  North  Amer- 
ica, east  to  Rocky  Mountains ;  south  through  California,  Arizona,  and 

New  Mexico  to  Mexico. 


432 


LAND   BIRDS 


California  Breeding  Range :  In  Transition  zone  along  the  whole  length  of 

the  Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season  :  May  to  August. 
Nest :  Willow  down,  covered  with  bits  of  bark,  fastened  securely  with 

cobwebs  ;  built  against  a  dried  pine  cone. 
Eggs:  2  ;  white.     Size  0.46  X  0.31. 

CALIFORNIA  is  the  land  of  hum- 
mingbirds.   Six  varieties  nest  with- 
in   her    borders,    and    two 
others  are  recorded  as  mi- 
grants ;  while  only  one  spe- 
cies,  the    ruby-throated,   is 
found  anywhere  in  the  East. 
Of,the  eight  varieties  reg- 
istered from  California  the 
smallest    is     the    Calliope, 
which  is  a  common  summer 
visitant  in  the  whole  length 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  breed- 
ing in  the  higher  altitudes 
of  the  range,  rarely  below 
four    thousand    feet.      It 
loves   the  mountain  meadows  and 
woodlands,   where    it  feeds    upon 
the  painted  cups,  columbine,  wild 
hyacinths,   gooseberries,   and    wild 
currants.      The   nests   are   usually 
saddled  among  the  small  cones  of  a 

pine  tree  and  are  woven  closely 
436.   CALLIOPE  HUMMING-      to  the  coneS)  ftnd  ^  covemj  ^ 

"it  feed,  upon  the  painted     bite  of  bark  and  cone  as  to  re- 
cup*." 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,   AND   OLIVE    433 

semble  one  closely.  In  fact,  unless  the  bird  be  seen  to  fly 
off  the  nest  or  to  it,  the  discovery  of  one  of  these  dainty 
homes  is  almost  impossible.  One  nest,  now  in  the  col- 
lection of  Mr.  William  Brewster,  at  Cambridge,  Mass., 
is  composed  of  fine  moss  and  willow  down,  decorated 
with  tiny  shreds  of  bark,  flakes  of  wood,  and  flakes  of 
whitewash  fastened  securely  with  cobwebs ;  it  was  placed 
on  a  knot  in  a  rope  hanging  from  the  roof  of  a  wood- 
shed. The  construction  and  materials  mimicked  the 
rope  and  knot  on  which  it  was  placed.  Mr.  Bryant 
records  another,  built  on  a  projecting  splinter  of  a  wood- 
pile at  a  height  of  two  feet.  Here,  as  seemingly  under 
all  circumstances,  the  bird  had  tried  to  imitate  the  sur- 
roundings, and  to  so  place  its  home  that  it  would  be 
more  or  less  protected  by  an  overhanging  branch,  leaf, 
or  some  other  object. 

459.  OLIVE-SIDED   FLYCATCHER.  —  Nuttallornis 

borealis. 
FAMILY  :  The  Flycatchers. 

Length:  7.10-7.90. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  dark-brownish  xslate,  with  darker  shaft  streaks  on 

some  of  the   feathers  ;   conspicuous  tuft   of  white   cottony  feathers 

on  each  side  of  rump  (generally  concealed  by  wings) ;   under  parts 

white  through  the  middle  from  chin  to  crissum  ;  the  sides  dark  and 

somewhat  streaked. 
Young:  Like  adults,  but  wing-coverts  tipped  with  brownish  instead  of 

white. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Through  the  mountainous  regions  of  North 

America  west  of  Rocky  Mountains  to  Pacific  Coast ;  north  to  Hudson 

Bay ;  south  in  winter  as  far  as  Peru. 
California  Breeding  Range:    In   Transition   and   lower    Boreal   zones 

throughout   the    State. 
Breeding  Season :  June  1  to  August  1 . 


434  LAND   BIRDS 

Nest :  Saucer-shaped  ;  of  wiry  materials  ;  fastened  to  horizontal  branches 

of  coniferous  trees,  40  to  60  feet  from  the  ground. 
Eggs:  3  ;  creamy,  spotted  at  large  end  with  brown  and  lavender.     Size 

0.90  X  0.65. 

ALTHOUGH  nowhere  very  numerous,  the  Olive-sided 
Flycatcher  is  found  throughout  the  forest  and  moun- 
tainous regions  of  California.  It  prefers  the  edge  of  the 
timber  to  the  dense  wood,  and  stays  along  the  course  of 
streams  or  around  small  lakes  in  the  higher  altitudes. 
Like  all  flycatchers,  it  feeds  on  winged  insects  caught  in 
the  air,  —  moths,,  butterflies,  dragonflies,  June  bugs,  and 
beetles.  Perched  upon  a  dead  branch,  one  of  these 
birds  will  catch  two  dozen  insects  in  as  many  swift 
dartings  out  into  the  air,  always  returning  to  the  same 
lookout  to  eat  them. 

About  the  middle  of  May  the  females  arrive  from  the 
South,  and  then  the  call-notes  grow  louder  and  merrier. 
Heard  through  the  quiet  hours  of  dusk  or  in  the  silence 
of  a  moonlight  night,  they  are  singularly  like  the  plain- 
tive notes  of  our  wood  pewee.  But  this  is  not  all  the 
song  the  little  lover  can  sing,  for  when  he  goes  a-wooing 
in  the  fresh  coolness  of  the  morning  he  trills  a  right 
merry  lay.  What  though  it  be  short  and  of  limited 
range,  the  glory  of  the  sunrise  and  the  joy  of  love  are  in 
it.  It  is  a  beautiful  world  !  He  is  glad  to  be  in  it,  and 
as  you  listen  you  are  glad  to  be  in  it  too.  When  you 
hear  this  warble,  you  may  know  that  somewhere  in  the 
top  of  a  tall  spruce  tree  a  wee  nest  is  being  woven  of 
fine  hair-like  rootlets,  small  twigs,  and  long  green  moss. 
Outside  it  will  likely  be  covered  with  lichens,  and  inside 
lined  with  moss.  So  securely  will  it  be  woven  to  the 


GREEN,  GREENISH  GRAY,  AND  OLIVE    435 

horizontal  limb  on  which  it  is  saddled  that,  a  hard  shake 
will  not  loosen  it.  You  cannot  see  it  from  below,  but 
the  nervous  little  builders  are  sure  to  betray  its  location 
if  you  venture  near.  With  tails  wagging  excitedly  and 
bills  snapping  with  sharp  clicks,  all  the  while  uttering  a 
shrill  "pip-pip-pip,"  they  protest  against  your  presence 
in  their  wood.  About  the  middle  of  June,  were  you  so 
unmindful  of  their  wishes  as  to  persist  in  climbing  sixty 
feet  to  see,  you  would  find  three  creamy  eggs  beautifully 
wreathed  with  brownish  spots  in  the  pretty  green  nest ; 
but  you  would  meet  a  warm  reception  from  the  furious 
parents.  Were  they  half  as  dangerous  as  they  are  bold, 
you  would  never  climb  to  a  second  nest. 

They  are  equally  intolerant  of  feathered  intruders,  espe- 
cially if  they  be  of  their  own  species.  Each  pair  seems  to 
preempt  a  certain  range  from  a  fourth  to  a  half  mile  in 
extent  near  the  shore  of  a  lake  or  along  a  stream,  and 
on  these  preserves  they  allow  no  poaching.  I  believe 
they  confine  all  their  excursions  to  this  territory  so  long 
as  they  remain  in  the  same  region.  Only  two  things 
seem  to  be  required  in  their  breeding-ground,  —  conifer- 
ous trees  and  water.  They  are  extravagantly  fond  of 
their  morning  bath,  and  are  at  it  when  the  water  is  cold 
almost  to  freezing.  To  witness  this  one  must  rise  with, 
if  not  ahead  of  the  sun,  for  it  is  the  first  act  of  their 
waking  hours.  The  young  also  are  taught  to  enjoy  a 
splash  almost  as  soon  as  they  learn  to  fly. 

Only  one  brood  is  reared  in  a  season,  for  they  come 
north  very  late  and  leave  again  by  the  last  of  August 
to  winter  in  the  tropics.  Incubation  lasts  about  fourteen 


436  LAND   BIRDS 

days,  and  the  young  remain  in  the  nest  two  weeks 
longer,  and  in  the  same  tree  nearly  a  week  after  leaving 
the  nursery.  They  are  faithfully  fed  by  both  parents 
and  taught  to  seize  their  food  in  the  air,  as  do  all  fly- 
catchers; and  before  the  time  comes  when  they  must 
forage  for  themselves,  they  have  learned  the  lessons 
necessary  for  their  safety  in  the  great  forest. 

464.    WESTERN    FLYCATCHER.  —  Empidonax  difficilis. 
FAMILY  :  The  Flycatchers. 

Length:  5.50-6.00. 

Adults:  Upper  part  grayish  olive  (more  brownish  in  winter)  ;  wing-bars 
buffy;  under  parts  yellowish,  becoming  bright  sulphur-yellow  on 
belly  and  under  tail-coverts,  and  shaded  with  grayish  brown  across 
the  breast. 

Young :  Similar,  but  upper  parts  browner,  with  wing- bars  rusty  buff,  the 
sulphur-yellow  of  belly  replaced  by  dull  white. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  United  States,  north  to  Alaska  ; 
south  in  winter  to  Mexico  ;  east  to  the  east  slope  of  the  Rockies ;  west 
to  the  Pacific. 

California  Breeding  Range:  In  Transition  and  upper  Sonoran  zones 
throughout  the  State. 

Breeding  Season :  May  1  to  July  1 5. 

Nest :  In  trees,  under  banks,  in  natural  cavities,  or  about  buildings,  usu- 
ally near  water ;  made  of  rootlets,  leaves,  and  moss  ;  lined  with  moss 
and  feathers. 

Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  white,  marked  with  brown  and  pale  salmon.  Size  0.69 
'  X  0.51. 

THE  breeding  range  of  the  Western  Yellow-bellied 
Flycatcher  —  known  also  as  the  Baird  Flycatcher,  or 
simply  Western  Flycatcher  —  extends  through  a  wide 
latitude,  from  Alaska  to  Lower  California.  Eastward, 
it  is  found  through  the  interior  and  southwest  to  the 
Rockies,  but  it  is  most  common  west  of  the  Sierra 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,  AND  OLIVE    437 

Nevada  in  California.  Throughout  this  extensive  range 
the  breeding  season  occurs  some  time  between  the  first 
of  May  and  the  last  week  in  July ;  and  within  that 
period  each  pair  sometimes,  but  not  usually,  raises  two 
broods.  My  own  observations  lead  me  to  believe  that 
in  the  same1  zone  there  is,  in  the  case  of  all  birds,  a 
difference  of  about  five  days  in  nesting  for  every  degree 
of  latitude.  This  would  make  the  season  north  of  San 
Francisco  from  three  to  four  weeks  latej*  than  in  the 
San  Diegan  district. 

The  Western  Flycatcher  is  even  less  restricted  in  his 
selection  of  a  building  site  than  in  choice  of  climate. 
On  the  ground  among  the  roots  of  trees,  up  high  on  a 
tree  branch,  in  the  bottom  of  a  deserted  flicker's  hole,  on 
a  ledge  of  rock,  he  seems  to  follow  no  law  but  his  own 
sweet  will  or  that  of  his  wee  mate. 

The  notes  on  this  Flycatcher  by  Mr.  Charles  A.  Allen, 
of  Nicasio,  California,  seem  to  me  well  worth  quoting. 
He  says :  "  It  is  a  very  widely  distributed  species 
throughout  this  part  of  the  State,  both  among  the  forests 
on  the  highest  hills,  where  there  is  not  a  drop  of  water 
for  long  distances,  and  along  the  banks  of  brooks  and 
streams  in  the  lowlands ;  I  have  found  its  nests  in  all 
sorts  of  situations,  —  sometimes  in  a  small  tree,  placed 
in  the  upright  forks  of  the  main  stem ;  again,  on  the 
side  of  the  stem  where  a  small  stub  of  a  limb  or  some 
sprouts  grew  out ;  or  in  a  cavity  in  a  tree  trunk  ;  against 
an  old  stump,  or  a  root  which  had  been  washed  down 
during  a  flood  in  the  middle  of  a  stream  ;  among  curled- 

1  See  map  of  life  zones,  p.  xvi. 


438  LAND   BIRDS 

up  roots  near  the  water,  etc.  I  have  found  a  number  of 
nests,  when  fishing  for  trout,  by  flushing  the  bird  from 
under  a  bank  ;  and  on  stooping  down  and  looking,  I 
found  the  nest  nicely  concealed  by  the  deep  green  moss, 
such  as  covered  the  surrounding  stones.  They  always 
use  this  particular  kind  of  moss,  no  matter  where  the 
nest  is  built.  Occasionally  they  nest  in  deserted  wood- 
cutters' huts,  on  outbuildings  near  cover,  and  a  friend 
of  mine  has  some  large  water-tanks  in  the  woods  back 
of  his  house,  where  for  nineteen  consecutive  years  these 
birds  have  built  under  the  covered  roofs  of  these  tanks. 
I  know  of  no  place  in  this  locality  where  they  do  not 
breed,  excepting  in  very  open  country.  Its  song  consists 
of  a  soft,  low  note.  It  shows  much  distress  when  its 
nest  is  taken,  uttering  then  a  low  wailing  note,  like 
'pee-eu,  pee-eu,'  and  frequently  flutters  about  the  per- 
son taking  it,  snapping  its  mandibles  together." 

Mr.  H.  P.  Lawrence  gives  the  call-note  as  "  weet-weet" 
or  "  per-teet-weet  "  uttered  in  jerky,  spiteful  accents. 
My  own  observations  give  still  a  third,  "  weet-weet- 
weeter-eet,"  neither  "spiteful"  nor  "plaintive,"  but  a 
happy  little  love  song  sung  early  in  the  morning.  The 
male  is  remarkably  devoted  to  his  mate,  feeding  her 
while  she  is  brooding,  and  caring  for  her  with  the  same 
devotion  that  he  afterwards  displays  for  his  nestlings. 
And  she  receives  this  with  the  same  pretty  coaxing  of 
wings  by  which  the  little  ones  beg  for  food.  After  the 
little  ones  are  hatched,  however,  she  works  as  hard  as 
he  to  fill  the  ever-hungry  mouths.  Small  insects,  par- 
ticularly water  insects,  are  a  favorite  food,  and  one  writer 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,   AND   OLIVE    439 

accuses  them  of  eating  newly  hatched  fish.  The  food  is 
swallowed  by  the  adults  and  afterwards  given  to  the 
young  by  regurgitation  until  they  are  four  or  five  days 
old. 

466.    TRAILL    FLYCATCHER.  —  Empidonax  trailli. 
FAMILY  :  The  Flycatchers. 

Length:  5.80-6.25. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  olive,  darkest  on  head;  wing-bars  varying  from 
brownish  gray  to  white  ;  eye-ring  white  ;  under  parts  white,  shaded 
with  olive  grayish  on  breast,  and  tinged  with  bright  yellow  on  poste- 
rior parts  ;  under  wing-coverts  pale  yellowish. 

Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  upper  parts  browner  ;  under  parts  more 
distinctly  tinged  with  yellow  ;  wing- bars  yellowish  brown. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  North  America,  from  the  Missis- 
sippi valley  to  the  Pacific  ;  south  in  winter  to  Mexico. 

California  breeding  Range :  In  interior  valleys,  to  Sacramento  and 
Honey  Lake. 

Breeding  Season:  May  15  to  July  15. 

Nest:  Deep,  cup-shaped,  bulky  ;  usually  built  between  forks  of  an  up- 
right branch  in  bushes,  near  water,  1  to  18  feet  from  the  ground  ; 
made  of  plant  down,  dry  grasses,  shreds  of  bark,  etc.  ;  lined  with 
fibre,  fur,  down,  and  horsehair. 

Eggs:  2  to  4  ;  white  or  pinkish,  spotted  mostly  at  larger  end  with  light 
brown.  Size  0.73  X  0.53. 

THE  Traill  Flycatcher  is  a  common  summer  resident 
in  all  suitable  localities  throughout  the  United  States, 
but  is  distinctly  a  bird  of  the  open  country  along  the 
alder  thickets  of  the  river  lauds.  It  is  restless  and  ener- 
getic, flitting  about  among  the  bushes  but  keeping  out 
of  sight  except  when  a  too  enthusiastic  sally  after  a  pass- 
ing insect  betrays  its  whereabouts.  But  for  this  and  a 
habit  it  has  of  calling  out  in  a  fretful  tone  at  the  approach 
of  any  person,  it  would  never  be  noticed,  so  small  is  it 
and  so  well  concealed  by  the  waving  leaves.  Its  notes 


440  LAND   BIRDS 

are  variously  rendered  as  "  pree-pee-deer  "  and  "  whuish, 
whuish,"  or  "  huip,  huip." 

Although  so  busy,  this  Flycatcher  is  never  so  occupied 
as  to  miss  a  chance  of  driving  another  bird,  great  or  small, 
away  from  the  special  clump  of  alders  which  the  pug- 
nacious mite  has  preempted  for  his  own.  When  there 
is  no  one  else  within  scrapping  distance,  he  contents  him- 
self with  scolding  his  mate  on  the  nest.  Apparently 
nothing  suits  him  from  the  time  the  nest  site  is  chosen 
until  the  brood  is  reared.  Capricious  and  variable,  Jie 
places  his  nest  anywhere  that  strikes  his  fancy,  whether 
high  up  in  the  crotch  of  a  sapling  or  close  to  the  ground 
among  heavy  weed  stalks.  The  materials  used  are  fine, 
dry  grasses,  pine  needles,  plant  down  ;  and  for  lining, 
down  and  horsehair.  About  the  middle  of  June  both 
sexes  may  be  seen  bringing  material  to  the  chosen  site, 
and  too  often  one  insists  on  scratching  out  the  founda- 
tions laid  by  the  other,  until  in  this  way  a  week  is  often 
consumed  before  the  structure  is  complete.  Only  the 
mother  bird  broods  in  the  beautiful  nest ;  the  male  simply 
straddling  the  edge  in  masculine  helplessness  when  left 
in  charge,  looking  very  wise  but  really  quite  useless  so 
for  as  keeping  the  eggs  warm  is  concerned.  In  twelve 
days  queer  naked  bits  of  bird  life  fill  the  cradle,  and 
now  the  small  brown  master  is  full  of  importance.  They 
are  hungry  ;  away  he  darts  for  food,  but  the  demand  is 
ever  greater  than  the  supply.  To  satisfy  those  four  open 
mouths  means  a  trip  every  two  minutes  or  oftener.  No 
time  has  he  now  for  scrapping  or  bullying  his  little  wife. 
From  early  morn  he  must  hustle,  snatching  time  for  a 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,   AND   OLIVE    441 

hastily  swallowed  bug  en  route  if  he  can,  going  hungry 
if  he  must.  Small  wonder  that  he  forgets  to  sing  or 
even  to  scold,  but  becomes  for  the  time  a  silent,  self- 
absorbed  drudge  in  the  workaday  world. 


468.    HAMMOND   FLYCATCHER.  —  Empidonax 
kammondi. 

FAMILY  :  The  Flycatchers. 

Length:  5.50-5.75. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  olive,  grayer  anteriorly  ;  wing-bars  light  grayish  or 
tinged  with  yellow ;  outer  tail-feathers  edged  with  whitish ;  throat 
grayish  ;  breast  strongly  shaded  with  olive  ;  belly  and  under  tail- 
coverts  yellowish. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  North  America,  east  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains  ;  north  to  the  interior  of  Alaska ;  south  in  winter  to 
Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Through  Transition  and  lower  Boreal  zones 
from  Mt.  Shasta  to  San  Jacinto  mountains. 

Breeding  Season :  June. 

Nest :  On  a  horizontal  limb  of  a  tree,  2  to  50  feet  from  the  ground  ;  made 
of  old  weed  stems,  plant  fibres,  shreds  of  bark,  plant  down  ;  lined  with 
grass,  shreds  of  bark,  plant  down,  hair,  and  a  few  feathers. 

Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  creamy  white,  sometimes  lightly  spotted  with  brown  at 
the  larger  end.  Size  0.70  X  0.53. 

THE  Hammond  Flycatcher  is  the  Western  representa- 
tive of  the  Chebec  of  the  East.  Unlike  the  latter, 
however,  it  is  a  shy  dweller  of  the  mountains,  nesting 
oftenest,  in  the  higher  altitudes,  from  five  thousand  to 
ten  thousand  feet. 

Instead  of  the  merry  little  note  which  has  given  the 
Eastern  species  its  nickname,  the  Hammond  Flycatcher 
gives  only  a  low,  indistinct  whistle  and  a  soft  "  peet." 
Building  in  the  higher  branches  of  the  coniferous  trees, 


442  LAND  BIRDS 

it  is  a  most  difficult  bird  to  observe  during  the  nesting 
season. 

The  food  of  hammondi  consists  of  insects,  which  it 
catches  by  darting  from  its  perch.  In  sharp  contrast  to 
the  restless  energy  so  characteristic  of  its  family,  it  will 
sit  motionless  for  a  long  time  upon  this  perch,  Micawber- 
like,  waiting  for  something  to  turn  up.  It  is  compara- 
tively little  observed,  and  is  accounted  rare,  but  I  believe 
this  is  due  more  to  its  retiring  habits  and  silence  than  to 
any  special  scarcity  of  individuals.  It  is  certainly  not 
uncommon  in  the  higher  valleys  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  in 
June,  and  would,  I  believe^  allow  some  investigation  of 
the  nesting  habits  without  deserting  the  brood,  for  the 
parents  are  very  devoted. 

469.    WRIGHT   FLYCATCHER.  —  Empidonax  ivrighti, 
FAMILY  :  The  Flycatchers. 

Length:  5.75-6.40. 

Adults:  Similar  to  Hammond  flycatcher,  but  upper  parts  grayer  ;  under 

parts  whiter  ;  throat  often  whitish  ;  outer  web  of  outer  tail-feathers 

abruptly  paler  than  inner  web. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Western  United  States,  east  to  the  east  slope 

of  the  Rocky  Mountains  ;  south  to  New  Mexico  ;  migrates  to  Lower 

California  and  Mexico. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Along  the  Sierra  Nevada,   south  to  Mt. 

Whitney. 

Breeding  Season:  June  15  to  July  15. 
Nest :  Shaped  like  an  inverted  cone  ;  in  hazel,  dogwood,  or  other  shrubs  ; 

fastened  to  the  twigs  or  against  the  trunk  of  bush  or  sapling,  2  to  18 

feet  from  the  ground  ;    made  of  plant  fibre  and  strips  of  bark  ;   lined 

with  feathers  and  hair. 
Eggs:  3  to  5  ;  dull  white,  unspotted.     Size  0.65  X.0.50. 

AMONG  the  pines  and  aspens  that  fringe  the  mountain 
brooks,  this  dull-colored  Flycatcher  hides  its  nest.  As 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,  AND   OLIVE    443 

soon  as  spring  fever  stirs  in  his  veins,  he  seeks  his 
favorite  haunts  and  flits  about,  a  gay  bachelor,  among 
the  buckbush  and  willows  for  a  week  or  so  before  his 
sweetheart  appears  on  the  scene.  After  her  arrival  fully 
two  weeks  are  squandered  in  the  frivolities  of  courting 
before  the  more  serious  business  of  housekeeping  is  be- 
gun, but  you  may  be  sure  he  has  had  his  eye  on  a  special 
cosy  fork  of  a  branch,  and  that  he  will  not  allow  any 
other  householder  to  "jump  his  claim."  Then  one 
sunny  day  about  the  tenth  of  June,  you  will  see  him 
bring  a  bunch  of  plant  fibre  and,  placing  it  in  the  chosen 
crotch,  jump  on  it  and  pack  it  into  place  with  feet  and 
bill.  He  has  worked  hard  to  get  it,  tugging  with  all 
his  little  strength  to  loosen  some  of  it,  which  is  the  in- 
ner bark  of  the  willows,  and  chewing  it  back  and  forth 
in  his  beak  to  render  it  fine  and  pliable.  After  the  first 
bit  has  been  put  in  place  the  female  does  the  shaping 
and  weaving,  while  the  male  brings  the  material.  When 
the  foundations  and  walls  are  completed,  a  warm  lining 
of  feathers  is  tucked  and  wadded  carefully  inside  the 
small  structure,  and  the  cradle  is  ready.  The  thickness 
of  this  lining  varies  with  the  altitude  and  location,  being 
thicker  in  higher  or  more  exposed  localities,  while  in 
some  instances  I  have  found  nests  with  scarcely  any 
lining  and  comparatively  thin  walls,  on  the  sunny  side  of 
a  canon.  These  thinly  built  nests  were  invariably  in 
pines  and  close  to  the  trunk,  and  further  from  the  ground 
than  the  heavier  ones.  Of  the  latter,  several  particularly 
warm  ones  were  in  willows  and  aspens  and  were  lined 
with  both  wool  and  short  hair  from  cattle  or  deer.  Of 


444  LAND  BIRDS 

four  nests  in  one  locality,  one  was  two  and  a  half  feet 
from  the  ground  in  a  manzanita  bush,  one  four  feet  in 
a  very  exposed  crotch  of  an  aspen  sapling  at  the  edge  of 
a  grove,  one  was  nicely  hidden  about  five  feet  up  in  a 
young  pine,  and  one  was  eleven  feet  from  the  ground, 
also  in  a  pine  tree.  All  were  commenced  at  about  the 
same  time,  and  the  first  egg  was  laid  in  two  of  them  the 
same  day.  In  one  of  the  others  incubation  had  begun 
on  the  day  on  which  the  second  egg  was  laid  in  the 
other  two.  The  higher  nest  was  watched  less  closely, 
but  the  brood  of  two  nestlings  were  seen  on  the  edge  of 
the  nest  at  the  same  time  that  those  in  the  lower  nest 
had  made  up  their  minds  to  fly  ;  so  there  was  not  more 
than  three  or  four  days'  difference  in  the  ages  of  the  four 
broods.  The  nests  were  all  within  a  radius  of  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  or  less,  and  were  similar  in  material  and  con- 
struction ;  but  those  in  the  pines  were  almost  an  inch 
shallower  than  those  in  the  bushes. 

During  incubation,  which  lasted  thirteen  or  fourteen 
days  in  two  cases,  the  male  was  frequently  found  on  the 
nest,  not  merely  guarding  but  brooding.  When  not  thus 
occupied,  he  flitted  restlessly  through  the  bushes,  bring- 
ing insects  to  his  mate,  not  spending  one  moment  in 
idleness  except  to  take  a  sunbath,  and  his  cheery  twitter 
could  be  heard  all  day  above  the  music  of  his  more  am- 
bitious neighbors.  As  soon  as  the  young  Flycatchers 
were  out  of  the  shell,  he  redoubled  his  efforts  and  seemed 
to  do  much  more  than  half  the  feeding.  For  the  first 
few  days  this  was  by  regurgitation,  but  later  fresh  food 
was  given  to  them.  Small  wonder  that  with  four  such 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,  AND   OLIVE    445 

voracious  appetites  to  satisfy  he  came  and  went  in  pre- 
occupied silence.  In  two  weeks  the  babies  had  filled 
the  nest  to  overflowing  and  were  fairly  crowded  out  of 
it.  Then  the  trials  of  the  father  bird  really  began,  for 
they  tagged  him  from  twig  to  twig  with  open  mouths 
and  quivering  wings.  In  vain  he  tried  to  swallow  a  bite 
himself.  Often  he  seemed  to  hesitate  between  the  de- 
mands of  his  own  hunger  and  the  entreaties  of  his  already 
too  full  fledglings,  but  he  usually  sacrificed  himself  to 
them.  In  every  instance  the  mother  helped  faithfully, 
and  in  one  case  she  alone  fed  a  nestling  almost  as  large 
as  herself,  at  the  rate  of  six  bugs  in  three  minutes.  Some- 
times she  liberated  one  in  front  of  him,  in  an  effort  to 
teach  him  to  hunt  for  himself,  but  he  was  the  only  young 
Flycatcher  I  have  ever  seen  refuse  to  try  to  catch  an  in- 
sect ;  he  would  not  budge.  This  little  comedy  was 
played  all  one  day,  and  early  the  next  morning  the  worn 
and  weary  little  mother  was  seen  alone,  no  trace  of  the 
overgrown  youngster  could  be  found,  nor  did  she  seem 
to  care.  She  called  restlessly  awhile,  but  about  noon 
began  to  enjoy  life  with  the  rest  of  her  kin  and  to  forget 
the  cares  of  yesterday.  t 

615.    NORTHERN  VIOLET-GREEN  SWALLOW. 

Tachycineta  thalassina  lepida. 
FAMILY  :  The  Swallows. 

Length:  4.75-5.50. 

Adult  Male  :  Top  of  head,  hind-neck,  back,  and  scapulars  rich  green, 
either  the  head,  neck,  or  dorsal  region,  or  both,  usually  tinged  with 
bronze  or  purple  ;  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts  violet,  shaded  with 
purple ;  wiug-coverts  violet,  edged  with  green  ;  a  white  patch  on  each 


446 


LAND   BIRDS 


side  of  rump,  often  close  enough  to  form  a  band  ;  under  parts  \vlute  ; 

ear-coverts  and  line  above  posterior  half  of  eye  pure  white. 
Adult  Female:  Similar  to  male,  but  smaller  and  duller;  ear-coverts  and 

hiiid-neck  dull  grayish. 
Young:    Upper  parts  entirely  dull  brownish  slate;   feathers  of  under 

parts  grayish  beneath  the  surface. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Western   United   States,  east  to  the  Rocky 

Mountains,  south  in  winter  to  Costa  Rica,  north  to  Alaska. 
California  breeding  Range:  In  Transition  zone  nearly  throughout  the 

State. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 
Nest :  In  cliffs,  hollow  trees,  under  eaves  of  houses,  etc.;  made  of  dry 

grasses  ;  lined  with  feathers. 
Eggs:  4  or  5  ;  pure  white.     Size  0.74  X  0.52. 

THE  Violet-green  Swallow  is  a 
strikingly  beautiful  bird  both  in  form 
and  coloring.     Although  its  plumage 
lacks  somewhat  of  the  lustre  of 
the  other  swallows,  the  bright 
green-and-violet    effects    of   the 
upper    parts    render    it 
unique  among  its  kind. 
It    is   a    lover   of    pine 
woods  and  mountain  for- 
ests,   but    where    these 
are  scarce,  it  makes  its 
home    among    the   bare 
cliffs,    nesting    in    crev- 
ices  in   the   rocks.      In 
California  all  of  the  nests 
I  have  found   have  been   in  de- 

615.  NORTHERN  VIOLET-     serted    woodpecker    excavations 

GREEN  SWALLOW.  ,       .        0       ..  .     ..     „..    , 

which    the    Swallows    had    filled 

"It  is  a  lover  of  pine  woods 
and  mountain  forests."1  With     feathers     and    bits    of    graSS. 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,   AND   OLIVE    447 

The  young  are  naked  when  hatched,  but  feather  into 
a  soft  mottled  gray  with  glints  of  blue  and  green  on 
the  upper  parts  and  the  under  parts  nearly  white. 
They  are  fed  on  small  insects  by  regurgitation. 


627  a.  WESTERN   WARBLING   VIREO.  —  Vireo  syha 
gilva  swainsoni. 

FAMILY  :  The  Vireos. 

Length:  5.00-5.50. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  olive  grayish  ;  top  of  head  dull  ash-gray ;  rurnp 

and  upper  tail-coverts  pale  olive-green  ;  white  streaks  through  eye  ; 

wings  and  tail  plain  dusky  brown  ;  sides  of  head  pale  brownish  ;  under 

parts  dull  white,  tinged  with  olive  yellow. 
Young:  Top  of  head  and  hind-neck  very  pale  grayish  buff;  lores  and 

superciliary  region  white  ;  rest  of  upper  parts  buffy,  wings  with  huffy 

bars ;  under  parts  pure  white,  except  for  yellowish  under  tail-coverts. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Western  North  America  from  Great  Slave 

Lake  to  Mexico. 
California  Breeding  Range:   Through  upper  Sonoran  and  Transition 

zones. 

Breeding  Season:  May  and  June. 
Nest:  A  strong,  durable  basket,  made  of  bark  strips  and  fine  grasses  on 

the  inside  ;  suspended  by  the  brim  from  forks  of  horizontal  branches. 
Eijgs :  4  or  5  ;  white,  spotted,  with  reddish  brown  and  lilac  around  the 
larger  end.     Size  0.70  X  0.55. 

THE  soft  green  plumage,  unstreaked  above  and  merg- 
ing to  greenish  white  below,  is  so  characteristic  of  the 
Vireo  family  as  to  win  for  them  the  name  of  Greenlets, 
which  to  the  non-scientific  observer  seems  quite  as  ap- 
propriate as  Vireo.  They  are  small  birds,  so  nearly  the 
color  of  the  leaves  as  to  be  observed  with  difficulty,  ex- 
cept for  their  friendly  habit  of  stopping  to  chat  with  you 
awhile  at  close  range.  Each  different  species  has  a  dif- 
ferent remark  to  make,  but  whatever  is  said  you  are  sure 


448  LAND   BIRDS 

to  understand  and  translate  into  human  speech.  Mrs. 
Eckstrom  says :  "  Few  birds  are  easier  to  tell  by  their 
music  and  harder  to  tell  without  it  than  the  Vireos.  By 
all  means  put  their  song  into  words."  The  song  of  the 
Warbling  Vireo  is  a  quaint,  cheery  melody  whistled  all 
day  long  until  chill  autumn  rains  drive  him  to  a  warmer 
climate.  He  is  a  mountain-lover,  choosing  the  aspens 
and  oaks  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  rather  than  the  lowland 
thickets.  If  he  condescends  to  build  in  a  city  park,  his 
nest  will  swing  as  near  the  top  of  the  tallest  tree  as  he 
can  find  suitable  twigs  to  hold  it.  Usually  it  will  be  at 
the  edge  of  a  stream  or  near  an  open  space.  In  the  full 
this  bird  becomes  very  friendly,  coining  into  the  orchards 
and  gardens  to  hunt  busily  among  the  leaves  for  small 
caterpillars.  At  this  time  he  is  fond  of  the  cornel  ber- 
ries that  grow  along  mountain  brooks,  and  occasionally 
condescends  to  eat  mistletoe,  though  he  prefers  insect 
food. 


629  a.  CASSIN    VIREO.  —  Lanivireo  solitarius  cussini. 
FAMILY  :  The  Vireos. 

Length:  5.00-5.60. 

Adults:  Top  and  sides  of  head  dark  gray,  blending  to  white  on  the 
throat ;  clearly  defined  white  eye-ring  and  loral  streaks ;  back  dull 
olive-green  ;  wings  with  two  clear  white  bands  ;  under  parts  clear 
white,  tinged  with  yellow  and  olive  on  sides  and  flanks. 

Young :  Upper  parts  dull  grayish  brown  ;  under  parts  dull  buffy. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  United  States,  chiefly  on  the  Pacific 
coast  in  summer  ;  east  to  New  Mexico,  and  south  to  Mexico  in  winter. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Along  the  Sierra  Nevada. 

Breeding  Season :  May,  June,  and  July. 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,   AND   OLIVE    449 

Nest :  Made  of  dry  leaves,  cocoons,  and  spider  webs  ;  lined  with  grass  and 

bark  ;  hung  in  thickets,  bushes,  oaks,  and  alders. 
Eggs :  3  or  4  ;  white,  sparsely  speckled  with  burnt  umber.     Size  0.80  X 

0.58. 

THE  Cassin  Vireo  is  more  common  along  the  Sierra 
Nevada  than  through  the  valleys,  and  is  most  abundant 
in  the  coniferous  forests  half-way  up  the  mountains. 
Here  its  characteristic  song,  "  Mary,  Mary,  Mary  I  look 
up  here  !  "  bears  so  close  a  resemblance  to  that  of  the 
yellow-throated  vireo  of  the  Eastern  States  as  to  make 
it  seem  like  the  same  bird. 

His  beautiful  basket  nest  will  be  swung  from  the 
branches  of  an  oak  or  spruce,  and,  so  long  as  the  little 
green  mother  is  brooding,  his  happy  warble  will  ring 
from  the  nest  tree  begging  her  in  tenderest  tones  to 
"  look  up  here ! "  At  Slippery  Ford  on  the  Lake 
Tahoe  road,  one  of  these  little  singers  followed  me  from 
tree  to  tree,  whenever  I  was  within  fifty  feet  of  his  nest, 
singing  from  the  lowest  twigs  a  foot  or  two  above  my 
head  and  peering  down  at  me  curiously  as  he  repeated 
his  quaint  invitation.  His  nest  was  only  six  feet  from 
the  ground  and,  June  3,  contained  four  eggs.  Sitting 
began  that  day,  and  two  days  later  both  nest  and  con- 
tents had  disappeared  and,  with  them,  the  happy  singer 
and  his  mate,  probably  into  a  collecting  basket.  I 
searched  for  them  day  after  day,  but  found  no  trace  of 
them  in  the  neighborhood.  Another  pair  of  the  same 
species  were  finishing  their  nest  in  a  tree  not  far  from 
the  hotel,  and  it,  like  the  first,  was  decorated  with  white 
cocoons  until  it  looked  almost  like  a  hornet's  nest  among 
the  green  leaves.  These  birds,  although  building  nearer 

29 


450  LAND   BIRDS 

a  dwelling,  were  less  confiding  than  the  first  pair,  and 
the  male  tried  many  little  wiles  to  coax  intruders  away 
from  his  nest,  though  there  were  as  yet  no  eggs  in  it. 

The  nest-making  of  the  yellow-throated  vireo  has 
been  so  finely  described  by  Mr.  Hutchins  in  "  Bird  Lore," 
August,  1902,  and  so  exactly  resembles  that  of  the 
Cassin  Vireo,  that  I  quote  from  it: 

"The  birds  built  the  rim  of  their  nest  stout  and 
strong,  twisting  the  web  about  the  twigs  over  and  over 
upon  itself  where  it  stretched  from  twig  to  twig,  till  I 
wondered  at  their  patience  and  ingenuity.  Inside  and 
outside  the  little  heads  would  reach,  with  the  prettiest 
turns  and  curvetings  imaginable,  till,  as  the  nest  grew 
deeper,  the  work  was  done  more  and  more  from  the 
inside.  Then  it  was  gathered  together  at  the  bottom 
with  side  joined  to  side.  When  this  part  of  the  work 
first  took  place,  the  nest  seemed  to  be  strangely  lacking 
in  depth,  and  had  an  unshapely  look  altogether.  But 
this  was  the  point  where  the  full  revelation  came  to  me 
of  how  the  deepest  part  is  shaped.  I  saw  the  bird  at 
this  stage  inside  the  nest  raise  her  wings  against  the 
upper  rim  and  the  twigs  which  held  it,  and  strain  with 
her  wings  upward  and  her  feet  downward  till  the  nest 
grew  so  thin  I  could  see  through  it  in  places.  Then 
they  began  weaving  in  more  material  to  thicken  and 
strengthen  sides  and  bottom  where  these  had  become 
thin  and  weak  through  stretching.  This  was  done 
many  times  until  proper  depth  and  thickness  were  both 
secured." 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,  AND   OLIVE    451 

632.    HUTTON   VIREO.—  Fireo  kuttoni. 
FAMILY  :  The  Vireos. 

Length:  4.25-4.75. 

Adults :  Lores  and  eye-ring  dull  whitish ;  upper  parts  plain  olive-brown  ; 

green  on  rump,  wings,  and  tail ;  narrow  white  wing-bars  ;  under  parts 

dull  whitish,  tinged  on  sides  with  olive-yellow. 
Young:  Similar,  but  upper  parts  lighter  brown,  sides  of  head  buffy 

brown  ;  under  parts  paler. 
Geographical  Distribution :  California. 
California  Breeding  Range :  West  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  in  upper  Sono- 

ran  and  Transition  zones. 
Breeding  Season :  March  to  June. 
Nest :  Neat,  compact  structure ;  made  of  fine  vegetable  fibres,  bits  of 

paper,  and  grasses  ;  covered  on  the  outside  with  moss,  and  lined  with 

grasses  ;  placed  in  trees,  from  8  to  10  feet  from  the  ground. 
Eggs :  4  ;  white,   finely  dotted  with  reddish  brown,  especially  at  the 

larger 'end.     Size  0.69   X   0.51. 

IN  the  valleys  and  foot-hills  of  California  the  Hutton 
Vireo  builds  its  nest  among  the  branches  of  the  scrub 
oaks.  In  the  materials  used  it  is  quite  unlike  any  vireo 
nest  found  in  the  East,  for  moss  forms  a  large  part  of  its 
composition.  Sometimes  the  external  adornment  alone 
consists  of  bits  of  moss  woven  in  with  shreds  of  spider 
web ;  but  occasionally  the  entire  nest  will  be  so  draped 
as  to  look  like  a  bunch  of  moss  tangled  at  the  fork  of  a 
light  branch,  and  will  deceive  the  eyes  of  an  expert 
collector.  But  the  bird  himself  has  no  talent  for  mis- 
leading you.  His  clear,  emphatic  warble  tells  you  where 
he  is  and  what  he  is  doing ;  for,  in  the  tenderest  phras- 
ing of  it,  there  comes  an  undertone  of  business,  and  sure 
enough  he  is  prosaically  hunting  his  dinner  while  sing- 
ing between  mouthfuls.  Under  every  one  of  the  green 


452  LAND  BIRDS 

leaves  he  peers  with  unabated  interest,  searching  care- 
fully for  the  small  worms  of  which  he  is  so  fond.  His 
slender  bill,  with  the  hook  at  the  end  and  bristles  at  the 
base,  reminds  one  of  the  flycatchers,  but  surely  this 
phlegmatic  plodder  could  never  belong  to  the  restless, 
darting,  nervous  flycatcher  family. 

Both  the  male  and  the  female  work  busily  at  the 
building  of  the  nest.  Beginning  at  the  top,  they  weave 
moss  and  fibre  over  and  around  the  supporting  twigs, 
leaving  loose  ends  to  be  caught  into  the  walls  and 
bottom  of  the  structure.  The  work  is  all  done  from  the 
inside  until  the  walls  are  firm,  and  then  bits  of  the 
external  decoration  are  carefully  tucked  on. 

The  brooding  is  all  done  by  the  female,  while  the  de- 
voted master  of  the  household  sings  early  and  late  from 
a  perch  in  the  same  tree.  This  habit  of  singing  so  near 
the  nest  is  characteristic  of  all  the  vireos,  but  is  rare 
among  other  birds.  He  also  feeds  her  very  often  during 
the  day,  and,  as  soon  as  the  young  appear,  takes  more 
than  his  share  of  the  labor  of  caring  for  them. 

Only  ten  days  are  required  to  incubate  the  eggs  of  the 
vireos,  and  one  of  my  own  records  says  seven  for  Button 
Vireo.  All  vireo  nestlings  are  born  naked  except  for 
the  hair-like  down  that  waves  thinly  on  head  and  back. 
In  this  bird  family  it  is  even  less  perceptible  than  in 
most  young  birds,  almost  requiring  a  microscope  to  dis- 
cover it.  They  are  fed  by  regurgitation  for  five  days 
and,  after  that,  the  food  is  usually  reduced  to  pulp 
before  being  given  to  them.  It  consists  almost  entirely 
of  small  tree-worms,  green  and  white,  the  latter  some- 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,  AND   OLIVE    453 

times  seeming,  by  their  whiteness,  to  be  fruit  worms. 
The  intervals  between  feeding  are  unusually  short,  rang- 
ing from  three  minutes  to  half  an  hour. 

633.1.  LEAST   VIREO.  —  Vireo  belli  pusillm. 
FAMILY  :  The  Vireos. 

Length:  4.80-5.25. 

Adults :  Upper  parts  plain  gray,  tinged  with  olive-green  on  rump,  wings, 
and  tail ;  wings  with  one  or  two  narrow  bars  ;  lores  gray  and  white  ; 
under  parts  white  ;  sides  tinged  with  olive-gray  and  pale  yellow. 

Young :  Lores  entirely  white  ;  top  of  head  and  hind-neck  pale  brown  ; 
back  dull  green. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Southern  and  Central  California,  Lower  Cali- 
fornia, and  Arizona. 

California  Breeding  Range:  Northern  San  Joar[uin-Sacramento  valley 
to  Sacramento. 

Breeding  Season :  April  and  May. 

Nest:  In  bushes  and  thickets  ;  made  similar  to  that  of  the  other  vireos. 

Eggs :  3  or  4  ;  lightly  dotted  with  brown,  especially  at  the  larger  end. 
Size  0.69  X  0.48. 

THE  Least  Vireo  is  a  bird  of  the  warm  valleys  and 
foot-hills,  frequenting  the  alder  thickets  along  the  wet 
bottom  lands  and  following  the  spring  into  the  foot-hills 
or  more  northern  valleys  to  nest.  It  is  a  tiny  mite  in 
grayish  green,  and  scarcely  distinguishable  from  the 
foliage  as  it  hunts  through  the  bush  for  insects.  Its 
semi-pensile  nest  is  fastened  to  the  slender  twigs  of  the 
willows  as  close  to  water  as  it  can  get.  This  is  not 
because  of  its  fondness  for  bathing,  but  because  of  the 
abundant  insect  life  found  in  wet  places.  While  not 
a  great  musician,  the  Least  Vireo  calls  enthusiastically 
early  and  late  from  the  cover  of  the  bushes,  showing  at 
times  decidedly  imitative  qualities  not  possessed  by  any 
of  its  family  except  the  white-eyed  vireo. 


454 


LAND   BIRDS 


634.    GRAY   VIREO.  —  Vireo  vicinior. 
FAMILY  :  The  Vireos. 

Length:  5.60-5.75. 

Adults:  Similar  to  least  vireo,  but  lores  and  eye-ring  entirely  white  ; 

wings  brownish,  with  wing-band  indistinct  or  wanting. 
Young:  Similar  to  adults,  but  upper  parts  with  brownish  tinge  and 

wing-bar  buflfy  white. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Southern  California,  Arizona, 
New  Mexico,  Western  Texas,  and  Mexico. 

California    Breeding    Eange : 
Southern  California  along 
the  San  Bernardino  moun- 
tains. 
Breeding  Season:   March  to 

June. 

Nest:  Made  of  coarse  dry 
grasses  and  shreds  of  bark  ; 
lined  with  finer  grasses  ; 
placed  in  thorny  bushes  or 
trees,  4  to  6  feet  from  the 
ground. 

Eggs :  3  or  4 ;  white,  thinly 
spotted  with  reddish  brown, 
chiefly  at  the  larger  end. 
Size  0.72  X  0.53. 

THE  level  mesas  and 
the   wide    canons    of 
Southern  California  are  the  haunts  of 
the   Gray  Vireo.     Lacking   the  calm 
patience  of  its  family,  this  species  hunts 
nervously  among  the  scant  foliage  for 
food,  flying  restlessly  from  one  clump 
of  the  sparse  growth  of  brush  to  an- 
634.   GRAY  VIREO.    ^^  ^  sjngjng  its  quamt  roundelay 

"  The  best  songster  of  all  .  ,  ,      .        j 

he  vireos."  whenever  it  stops  long  enough  to  do 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,   AND   OLIVE    455 

so.  It  is  much  the  best  songster  of  all  the  vireos,  and 
its  melody  has  a  clear,  liquid  quality,  at  times  melting 
with  a  tenderness  strangely  in  contrast  with  its  abrupt 
motions.  Rarely  does  it  wander  higher  than  the  tops 
of  the  scrubby  growth  of  the  rocky  hillsides,  and  it 
comes  fearlessly  into  view.  The  basket-shaped  nest  is 
swung  from  a  mesquite  or  thorn  -bush  usually  within 
five  feet  of  the  ground,  and,  except  for  the  overhanging 
leaves  that  shelter  it  from  the  sun,  there  is  nothing  to 
conceal  it  from  the  observation  of  every  passer. 

646  a.  LUTESCENT   WARBLER.—  Vermwora 
celata  lutescens. 

FAMILY:  The  Wood  Warblers. 

Length:  4.20-4.45. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  bright  olive-green,  brighter  on  rump;  some- 
times tinged  with  gray,  especially  on  head ;  orange  crown  patch 
concealed  by  grayish  olive  tips  of  feathers,  except  in  midsummer 
plumage  ;  eye-ring  and  superciliary  yellow  ;  under  parts  bright  green- 
ish yellow,  streaked  with  dull  olive. 

Adult  Female:  Crown  patch  duller  and  sometimes  obsolete. 

Young:  In  first  plumage;  upper  parts  olive-green;  wing-bars  paler  or 
buffy  ;  under  parts  buffy,  shaded  with  olive  on  chest,  sides,  and  flanks. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  from  Alaska  to  the  mountains 
of  Lower  California  and  Western  Mexico  in  winter;  migrates  east- 
ward to  Colorado,  Arizona,  etc. 

California  Breeding  Flange :  Southward  along  the  Pacific  Coast  Range  to 
the  mountains  of  Southern  California. 

Breeding  Season:  May  15  to  June  15. 

Nest :  On  the  ground,  often  concealed  by  tall  grass  or  bushes  ;  composed 
of  drv  grasses,  rootlets,  and  moss ;  lined  with  a  few  horsehairs  and 
fine  fibres. 

Eggs :  4  or  5  ;  white  or  creamy,  finely  speckled  with  purplish  gray  and 
cinnamon-brown,  chiefly  at  the  larger  end.  Size  0.65  X  0.46. 

WITH  the  spring  sunshine  comes  the  Lutescent  War- 
bler on  his  way  from  the  south  to  the  mountain  ranges 


456  LAND  BIRDS 

of  California,  where  he  will  spend  the  summer ;  and  as 
he  loiters  along  the  way  hunting  for  insects  among  the 
golden  tassels  of  the  oaks,  we  are  charmed  with  his 
dainty  grace  and  soft  sweet  twitter. 

All  day  long  he  flits  about  through  the  oak  trees,  lean- 
ing away  over  the  tips  of  the  boughs  to  investigate  a 
spray  of  leaves,  or  stretching  up  his  pretty  head  to  reach 
a  blossom  just  above  him;  now  clinging  head  downward 
underneath  a  spray,  or  hovering  under  the  yellow  tassels 
as  a  bee  hovers  beneath  a  flower.  But  the  everlast- 
ing hills  are  calling  him,  and  day  by  day  lie  goes  nearer 
to  them,  higher  and  higher  up  the  range  until  his  own 
particular  thicket  is  reached,  where  he  can  hide  his  pretty 
nest  and  rear  his  young.  And  now,  from  swinging  in  the 
tops  of  the  oak  trees,  he  comes  down  to  a  snug  corner 
under  the  thick  shrubbery  and  weaves  a  cradle  of  weeds, 
bark,  moss,  and  grass,  lining  it  with  hairs  and  rootlets. 
Each  one  of  these  rootlets  must  be  pulled  off  separately, 
a  task  as  great  for  his  small  strength  as  the  uprooting  of 
a  sapling  would  be  for  a  man,  yet  the  average  nest  re- 
quires very  many  of  them.  A  nest  found  near  Rowar- 
dennan,  May  26,  contained  three  nearly  fledged  young 
and  two  infertile  eggs.  It  was  a  typical  nest,  except 
that  a  large  amount  of  moss  was  used  in  its  construction 
and  only  a  few  rootlets.  The  location  was  also  some- 
what singular,  it  being  squeezed  between  a  stone  and  a 
clump  of  weeds  and  lying  partly  under  the  overhanging 
stone.  There  was,  of  course,  no  way  of  determining  the 
age  of  these  nestlings,  but  the  under  parts  were  still 
somewhat  bare  when  they  scrambled  out  of  the  nest  the 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,   AND   OLIVE    457 

next  day.  Another  nest  in  the  locality,  half  a  mile  from 
the  first,  contained  four  fresh  eggs.  This  was  a  foot 
from  the  ground,  in  a  bush,  and,  but  for  the  unmistak- 
able identification,  would  never  have  been  placed  in  the 
same  list  as  the  first  nest,  for  there  was  not  a  spear  of 
moss  in  it  and  it  was  lined  entirely  with  rootlets.  After 
accidental  discovery  it  was  found  to  be  in  plain  sight 
from  the  path. 


646  b.  DUSKY    WARBLER.  —  Vermwora  celata 
sordida. 

FAMILY  :  The  Wood  Warblers. 

Length:  4.70. 

Adults:  Similar  to  the  lutescent  warbler,  but  colors  much  darker. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Santa  Barbara  Islands,  California,  and  the 

mainland  after  the  breeding  season. 
California  Breeding  Range:  San  Clemente,  Santa  Catalina,  and  other 

Santa  Barbara  Islands. 
Breeding  Season  :  About  June  1. 
Nest  and  Eggs:  Similar  to  those  of  the  lutescent  warbler. 

THE  Dusky  Warbler  seems  to  be  an  island  form  of  the 
lutescent  warbler.  It  is  a  common  resident  of  Santa 
Catalina  Island  and  others  of  the  Santa  Barbara  group, 
breeding  in  the  sparse  growth  of  brush  on  the  steep  sides 
of  the  mountains.  On  Santa  Catalina  the  nests  are  com- 
monly on  the  ground  at  the  foot  of  a  weed  stalk,  but  one 
was  found  in  a  crevice  of  the  cavity  left  by  a  small  land- 
slide of  the  preceding  winter.  They  are  especially  abun- 
dant in  the  vicinity  of  the  Isthmus.  Early  in  the  fall 
flocks  of  these  Warblers  fly  eastward  to  the  mainland, 
striking  it  a  little  south  of  San  Pedro  and  continuing 


458  LAND   BIRDS 

east  as  far  as  Sail  Bernardino.  They  are  abundant  at 
Los  Angeles  in  August,  but  disappear  entirely  in  the  fall 
and  do  not  reappear  until  the  next  year. 


748  a.    WESTERN   GOLDEN-CROWNED   KINGLET. 

Regulus  satrapa  olimceus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Kinglets,  Gnatcatchers,  etc. 

Length:  3.15-4.55. 

Adult  Male:  Crown  orange,  surrounded  with  yellow  and  edged  on  front 
and  sides  with  black  lines  ;  upper  parts  olive,  greenest  on  the  rump  ; 
two  whitish  wing-bars  ;  under  parts  buffy  whitish. 

Adult  Female:  Similar,  but  crown  lemon-yellow. 

Young:  No  yellow  ou  crown  ;  under  parts  tinged  with  pale  brownish 
gray. 

Geographical  Distribution  :  Pacific  coast  of  North  America,  from  Califor- 
nia northward  ;  south  in  winter  to  Guatemala. 

Breeding  Range:  Breeds  sparingly  on  the  high  Sierra  Nevada  south- 
ward nearly  to  Mt.  Whitney. 

Breeding  Season :  July. 

Nest :  A  ball  of  green  tree  moss  ;  fastened  to  end  of  pine  branch  ;  lined 
with  feathers  and  short  hair. 

Eggs:  5  to  10  ;  pale  buffy,  speckled  with  buff.     Size  0.56  X  0.44. 

THE  Western  Golden-crowned  Kinglet  is  a  common 
winter  bird  in  the  coast  regions  and  elsewhere  in  Cali- 
fornia west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada.  He  is  such  a  fearless, 
happy  little  chap,  with  his  crown  of  bright  orange  and 
his  plump  green  body,  that  one  is  instinctively  drawn 
to  him  and  conies  to  regard  his  merry  "  zee-zee-zee  "  as  an 
attractive  sound  in  the  woodland  chorus.  He  will  allow 
you  to  come  within  a  few  feet  of  him  and  meets  all 
your  friendly  advances  with  charming  trustfulness.  This 
sociability  is  only  for  the  winter,  however,  when  he  has  the 
companionship  of  his  fellow-kinglets  for  moral  support 


GREEN,   GREENISH   GRAY,   AND   OLIVE    459 

and  frolics  through  the  oaks  in  flocks,  busily  search- 
ing under  every  leaf  for  insect  food.  It  is  quite  a  dif- 
ferent matter  in  the  high  forests  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
where  he  goes  to  rear  his  brood.  There  he  is  shyest  of 
the  shy,  keeping  mysteriously  in  the  tops  of  the  tall  firs 
and  giving  you  only  a  tantalizing  glimpse  now  and  then. 
One  female  that  I  watched,  or  tried  to  watch,  was  evi- 
dently constructing  a  nest,  for  she  could  be  seen  flutter- 
ing about  with  her  bill  filled  with  nesting  material  of 
some  sort,  and  carrying  it  always  to  the  same  tall  spruce 
with  a  comical  air  of  business.  On  all  these  trips  she 
was  accompanied  by  the  male,  who  came  and  went  with 
her,  but  never,  that  I  could  see,  brought  any  load  him- 
self. Whenever  she  dropped  down  to  where  she  was 
building  her  nest  among  the  thick  branches,  her  mate 
perched  higher  in  the  same  tree  and  warbled  in  con- 
tinuous low,  sweet  song,  every  now  and  then  dart- 
ing out,  flycatcher  fashion,  after  an  insect  —  which  he 
greedily  ate.  The  song  opened  with  a  high-keyed,  clear 
crescendo  in  tone  and  volume,  diminishing  rapidly  as  it 
ran  down  the  scale,  and  was  repeated  over  and  over 
without  much  variation,  like  the  song  of  a  canary. 

749  (part).  WESTERN  RUBY-CROWNED  KINGLET. 

Regains  calendula  dneraceus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Kinglets,  Gnatcatchers,  etc. 

Length:  4.00-5.00. 

Adult  Male:  Bright  crimson  crown  patch,  more  or  less  concealed  ;  upper 

parts  grayish  olive,  greener  on  rump  ;  two  narrow  white  wing-bars  ; 

under  parts  grayish  white,  sometimes  tinged  with  greenish. 
Adult  Female,  and    Young:   Similar,  but  lacking  the    crimson   crown 

patch. 


460  LAND   BIRDS 

Breeding  Range:  Boreal  zone  of  United  States  and  Northern  Mexico, 
in  Rocky  Mountains,  Sierra  Nevada,  and  mountains  of  Arizona. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  Bulky  ;  semi-pensile  ;  woven  of  shreds  of  bark  and  moss ;  lined 
with  hair  and  feathers  ;  placed  in  pine  or  spruce  tree,  15  or  20  feet 
from  ground. 

Eggs  :  5  or  6  ;  buffy,  lightly  spotted  around  larger  end  with  pale  brown. 

ALTHOUGH  Mr.  Grinnell  states  that  the  Ruby-crowned 
Kinglet  breeds  "in  the  Boreal  on  the  sierras  south  to 
San  Jacinto  mountains,"  he  does  not  say,  as  he  might 
with  truth,  that  it  is  rare  and  very  hard  to  find.  The 
nest  is  hung  so  high,  usually  in  the  branches  of  a  tall 
spruce,  that  only  an  expert  climber  can  hope  to  peep 
into  one.  Such  was  Mr.  H.  F.  Bailey,  of  Santa  Cruz, 
who,  May  15,  1901,  discovered  a  Kinglet  carrying  nest- 
ing material  and  watched  her,  although  he  could  not  at 
first  see  the  nest.  June  6,  three  weeks  later,  he  climbed 
the  tree  in  which  he  had  seen  the  bird  at  work,  and 
found  the  nest  thirty  feet  up  and  only  six  or  eight  feet 
from  the  apex.  "  It  was  beautifully  made,  pyriform  in 
shape,  with  the  small  end  downward,  about  six  inches 
long,  and  five  inches  through  at  the  thickest  part.  The 
cup  was  very  deep  and  the  rim  very  much  contracted, 
inclosing  a  spherical  space  with  a  small  opening  at  the 
top.  The  material  used  in  construction  was  moss,  fur, 
and  silky,  fibrous  substances  woven  compactly  together. 
The  lining  was  of  hair  and  feathers.  Some  of  these 
latter  were  woven  into  the  rim,  the  stems  firmly  secured 
and  the  free  tips  curling  inward  until  they  met,  thus 
forming  a  curtain  over  the  contracted  opening  and  com- 
pletely inclosing  the  interior.  A  very  warm  house  was 


GREEN,   GREENISH    GRAY,   AND.  OLIVE     461 


the  result.  The  number  of  eggs  was  seven,  incubation 
slightly  advanced,  ground  color  light  buff —  almost  white 
—  with  numerous 
fine,  pale,  brown 
spots,  so  pale  as 
to  be  indistinguish- 
able, thickest  near 
the  larger  end.  The 
effect  is  as  if  a  fine 
layer  of  dust  had 
settled  on  the 
eggs." 

The  usual  call  of 
a  Ruby-crowned  is 
a  sharp  thin  whistle, 
unmistakable  when 
once  heard.  On 
migrations  this  is 
his  only  note,  but  at 
nesting  •  time  he  has  a 
twittering  warble  of  three 
notes  repeated  over  and 
over.  This  cannot  be 
heard  so  far  as  his 
whistle,  but  is  soft  and 
sweet.  It  is  occasionally  heard  late  at  night  when  the 
wind  sweeps  through  the  pine  boughs  and  rouses  the 
little  sleepers. 


749.    RUBY-CROWNED  KINGLET. 

"  Only  an  expert  climber  can  hope  to  peep 
into  one," 


462  LAND   BIRDS 


RED    CONSPICUOUS   IN   PLUMAGE 

403.     RED-BREASTED    SAPSUCKER.  —  Sphyrapicus 
ruber. 

FAMILY  :  The  Woodpeckers. 

Length:  8.50-9.25. 

Adults:  Entire  head,  neck,  and  upper  breast  red,  sometimes  lightly 
striped  on  sides  of  head  with  black  and  white ;  rest  of  upper  parts 
black,  barred  with  white  ;  under  parts  dark  gray  or  yellow. 

Young:  Duller,  head  and  breast  purplish  brown  instead  of  red. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Pacific  coast  district  north  to  Alaska,  south 
to  San  Bernardino  mountains. 

Breeding  Range :  The  Transition  and  Boreal  zones  throughout  its  Cali- 
fornia range. 

Breeding  Season  :  May  15  to  June  15. 

Nest;  A  gourd-shaped  cavity,  from  6  to  10  inches  deep ;  in  a  live  aspeu 
tree,  15  to  25  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs:  5  or  6  :  white.     Size  0.91  X  0.71. 

THE  Red-breasted  Sapsucker  is  a  common  summer 
resident  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  from  Mount  Shasta  to  the 
San  Bernardino  mountains.  When  the  cold  of  winter 
drives  it  from  the  higher  altitudes,  it  migrates  irregularly 
westward  through  the  valleys  to  the  coast. 

Among  the  fir  forests  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  it  is  con- 
spicuous and  frequently  met  with,  and  may  be  heard  at 
a  distance  of  two  hundred  yards,  beating  its  rattling  tat- 
too for  hours  at  a  time.  When  alone,  it  is  very  noisy,  but 
as  soon  as  it  suspects  your  presence,  it  becomes  silent 
and  dodges  behind  the  tree  trunk,  slipping  away  as  soon 
as  you  look  in  another  direction.  In  the  vicinity  of  Lake 
Tahoe  the  mating  was  arranged  and  excavation  for  the 
nest  was  begun  by  May  23.  When  first  observed, 
the  cavity  seemed  to  be  about  four  inches  deep,  below 
the  first  limb  of  the  live  aspen  tree  they  had  selected  for 


RED   CONSPICUOUS    IN   PLUMAGE         463 


a  home,  and  in  six  days  it  was  complete.     It  was,  as. I 
afterwards  ascertained,  nine  and  a  half  inches  in  depth. 
This  pair  were  not  so  shy 
as  most  of  those  I  had 
watched;  after  the  exca- 
vation was  partly  accom- 
plished, they  kept  on  at 
their  work  when    I  was 
in  full  view,  though  dis- 
creetly keeping  my  dis- 
tance.    The    male    was 
advisory  counsel  and  de- 
fender, but  candor  com- 
pels me  to  admit  that  he 
allowed    Madam    to    do 
more  than  her  share  of 
the  hard  work.     He  was 
always  near,  keeping  an 
eye  on   me  and  look- 
ing into  the  small  door- 
way 'to  note  progress 
when    his    mate    had 
flown   away  for  food, 
but   only  three  times  did    I 
catch  him  making  the  chips 
fly  himself. 

I  thought  sometimes  he 
seemed  stupefied  with  the      403    KED.BREASTED  SAPSUCKEH. 
sap  he  had  been  drinking.          <.  The  motf,er  watched  the  attempt  to 

„,,  .       .  drink  the  sweet  syrup." 

This  is  not  an  uncommon 


464  LAND   BIRDS 

occurrence  with  his  Eastern  cousin,  the  yellow-bellied 
sapsucker,  who  sometimes  becomes  so  intoxicated  on  the 
sap  of  the  mountain  ash  that  he  will  allow  himself  to  be 
picked  up  by  the  hand  of  a  quiet  observer.  But  the 
Red-breasted  is  more  cautious,  and  knew  instinctively 
just  when  my  glasses  were  turned  toward  him  or  when 
I  moved  hand  or  foot.  I  say  "  instinctively,"  for  often- 
times I  knew  he  was  behind  the  trunk  where  he  could 
not  see  me,  and  yet  the  most  noiseless  movement  brought 
him  inquisitively  into  view.  So  long  as  he  was  on  guard 
the  female  worked  without  fear,  but  when  he  left  on  a 
foraging  expedition,  she  usually  became  restless  and 
shortly  afterwards  flew  away  also. 

Incubation  began  May  30,  and  lasted  fifteen  days. 
The  young  were  fed  by  regurgitation  for  the  first  two 
weeks.  As  in  the  case  of  most  other  woodpeckers  ex- 
cept the  flicker,  I  know  this  by  closely  watching  the 
adults  as  they  come  to  the  nest.  As  soon  as  the  bottle 
period  is  over,  the  food  can  be  seen  in  their  bills.  After 
the  first  week,  some  few  species,  like  the  flicker,  feed  by 
regurgitation,  from  the  doorway,  in  full  view  of  the  world. 

The  young  Sapsuckers  left  the  nest  on  the  seventh  of 
July,  and  clung  to  the  nest  tree  for  three  days.  Here  they 
were  initiated  by  both  parents  into  the  mysteries  of  sap- 
sucking.  A  hole  having  been  bored  in  front  of  each,  with 
grotesque  earnestness  the  mother  watched  the  attempt 
to  drink  the  sweet  syrup.  During  this  time  both  insects 
and  berries  were  brought  to  them  by  the  adults,  in  one 
hour  one  youngster  devouring  twelve  insects  that  looked 
like  dragonflies. 


RED   CONSPICUOUS   IN   PLUMAGE         465 

This  species  is  said  never  to  girdle  the  trees  as  does 
the  Eastern  variety,  and  to  be  far  less  harmful. 


408.  LEWIS   WOODPECKER.  —  Asyndesmus  leirisi. 
FAMILY:  The  Woodpeckers. 

Length:  10.50-11.50. 

Adults:  Upper  parts,  lower  tail-coverts  and  thighs  uniform  dark  me- 
tallic greenish  ;  face  dark  crimson  ;  chest  and  collar  round  back  of 
neck  grayish  ;  under  parts,  sides,  and  flanks  pinkish  red,  with  plu- 
mage coarse  and  hair-like. 

Young  :  Like  adults,  but  without  red  on  head  and  without  collar  ;  under 
parts  more  grayish  than  pinkish. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  United  States,  from  the  Black  Hills 
and  Rocky  Mountains  to  the  Pacific. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Along  the  Sierra  Nevada  south  to  Fort 
Tejon  ;  also  in  the  valleys  of  the  Salinas  and  the  San  Benito. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest:  Excavations  made  mostly  in  pines  and  dead  stumps,  from  8  to  100 
feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs:  5  to  9  ;  white.     Size  1.03  X  0.80. 

THE  Lewis  Woodpecker,  although  so  handsome,  is  the 
most  silent  and  stupid  of  all  its  race.  Making  no  at- 
tempt to  defend  its  nest,  it  will  sit  on  a  limb  of  the  tree 
and  look  on  while  its  home  is  rifled,  uttering  no  sound 
and  seeming  not  to  care.  It  uses  the  same  excavation 
year  after  year,  and  will  sometimes  lay  a  second  set  of 
eggs  in  the  same  hole  from  which  the  last  has  just  been 
stolen.  The  nest  is  usually  high  in  a  tree,  and  is  some- 
times thirty  inches  deep  with  an  entrance  two  and  a  half 
inches  in  diameter.  In  summer  this  Woodpecker  is  resi- 
dent in  certain  localities  along  the  Sierra"  Nevada  south 
to  Fort  Tejon,  and  breeds  in  the  open  country  along  this 
range.  In  the  winter  it  may  be  found  nearly  throughout 
the  State. 


466  LAND  BIRDS 

In  the  summer  its  food  consists  of  grasshoppers,  large 
black  crickets,  wood  ants,  larvae,  wild  strawberries  and 
raspberries,  cherries,  acorns,  pine  seeds  and  juniper  ber- 
ries. Where  grasshoppers  and  Mayflies  abound,  it  will 
gather  these  insects  and  stick  them  into  cracks  in  the 
bark  to  be  eaten  later. 

Unlike  most  woodpeckers,  this  species  have  the  habits 
of  the  flycatcher,  darting  out  to  catch  an  insect  on  the 
wing  and  returning  to  the  perch  on  the  top  of  a  dead 
pine  tree.  The  young  remain  in  the  nest  three  to  four 
weeks,  and  are  fed  upon  insects  and  fruit  by  the  parents 
for  some  time  after  leaving. 

After  the  breeding  season  is  over  the  Lewis  gradually 
makes  his  way  with  his  young  into  the  higher  moun- 
tain forests,  where  they  remain  in  flocks  until  the  cold 
weather  of  late  September  sends  them  toward  the 
valleys. 

471.    VERMILION   FLYCATCHER.  —  Pyrocephalux 

rubinus  mexicanus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Flycatchers. 

Length:  5.50-6.25. 

Adult  Male:  Head  of  male  with  crest ;  upper  parts,  except  top  of  head, 

brownish  gray,   darker  on  wings  and  tail  ;  crown  and  under  parts 

bright  scarlet. 
Adult  Female:  Upper-parts  brownish  gray  ;  under  parts  whitish  ;  breast 

streaked  with  grayish  ;  belly  tinged  with  pale  red  or  salmon. 
Young:  Upper  parts  grayish,  feathers  edged  with  whitish;  under  parts 

whitish,  streaked  across  the  breast. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Mexico,  Southern  and  Lower  California  to 

Central  America,  north  to  Southwestern  Utah  and  Nevada. 
Breeding  Range:   If  at  all  in   California,  this  flycatcher  breeds  in  the 

vicinity  of  the  Colorado  River  near  Fort  Yuma.     Breeds  in  Utah, 

Arizona,  New  Mexico,  and  Southwestern  Texas. 


RED   CONSPICUOUS   IN    PLUMAGE 


467 


Breeding  Season :  April  to  July  16. 

Nest:  Shallow  and  loosely  constructed  ;  saddled  on  a  horizontal  fork  6 

to  50  feet  from  the  ground  ;  made  of  twigs,  small  weed  tops,  plant 

fibre,    empty   cocoons,    spider    webs,    and    plant  down  ;    lined  with 

feathers,   hair,  wool,  fur,   and  plant  down. 
Eggs:  2  to  3  ;  cream  or  buff,  marked  most  heavily  about  the  larger  end 

with  irregular  blotches  of  brown,  drab,  and  lavender  gray.     Size  0.71 

X  0.53. 

IT  is  most  unfortunate  that  this  brilliant  bit  of  bird 
life  occurs  in  California  only  as  a  winter  visitor.  During 
the  weeks  from  November  to  March  it  is  more  or  less 
common  throughout  the  southern  part  of  the  State,  espe- 
cially that  portion  along 
the  Lower  Colorado 
River,  but  it  is  neither 
so  jubilant  nor  so  fasci- 
nating as  when  in  its 
own  chosen  haunts  it 
wooes  its  pretty  mate. 
One  must  cross  to  the 
Arizona  side  of  the 
river  and  ride  some 
miles  eastward,  to 
find  it  really  abun- 
dant, but  the  enthu- 
siast will  be  well 
repaid.  Here,  among  the  mesquite  trees,  like  scarlet 
blossoms  suddenly  taken  wings,  the  dashing  males  chase 
each  other  and  engage  in  brilliant  combats. 

These  feathered  warriors  have  tempers  as  fiery  as  their 
breasts.  Early  in  March  they  arrive  from  the  south  or 
west,  and  a  week  later  are  joined  by  the  females.  So 


471.   VERMILION  FLYCATCHER. 

"  Pouring  out  his  joy." 


468  LAND   BIRDS 

slyly,  so  quietly  do  these  demure  brown  ladies  slip  into 
the  gay  company  that,  but  for  the  curious  antics  of  their 
ardent  swains,  you  might  not  notice  their  advent.  The 
little  cavalier  can  no  longer  contain  his  delight.  From 
a  branch  where  he  has  been  sitting,  one  will  shoot  sud- 
denly straight  upward,  like  a  fiery  spark  against  the 
evening  sky.  There,  high  in  the  air,  he  poises  on  vibrat- 
ing wing,  with  every  feather  fluffed  out,  crest  raised, 
and  tail  quirked  up  over  his  back,  all  the  time  pouring 
out  his  joy  in  bubbling  music.  Just  as  you  are  sure  he 
will  explode  with  the  rapture  of  it,  down  he  comes, 
lightly  as  an  autumn  leaf.  It  is  his  wooing,  and 
somewhere  among  the  green  leaves  his  sweetheart  is 
watching. 

One  such  aerial  serenade  had  quite  an  unlooked-for 
ending.  Evidently  the  performer  had  chosen  his  arena 
without  properly  surveying  the  neighborhood  ;  for,  as  he 
hovered  in  the  air  only  four  feet  away  from  an  oak  tree 
limb  where  sat  an  Arkansas  kingbird,  the  latter,  con- 
ceiving this  to  be  a  direct  challenge  and  ever  ready  for 
a  scrap,  darted  out  at  him  with  indescribable  fury. 
The  result  was  a  kaleidoscopic  mingling  of  yellow,  red, 
and  brown  tumbling  earthward,  the  birds  fighting  as 
they  fell.  The  Vermilion  had  been  taken  by  surprise, 
and  was  no  match  for  his  antagonist,  but  he  fought 
gallantly.  As  he  landed  on  his  back  on  the  ground, 
with  feet  and  bill  still  eager  to  finish,  the  kingbird  rose 
a  few  feet  above  him,  poised  over  him  as  a  hawk  over 
a  field  mouse  lair,  hesitated,  and  for  some  occult  reason 
flew  back  to  his  own  perch.  His  honor  had  been  vin- 


RED   CONSPICUOUS   IN   PLUMAGE         469 

dicated,  his  rights  enforced,  there  was  no  fun  in  scrap- 
ping with  a  vanquished  foe;  so  magnanimously  he 
withdrew  from  the  field.  Left  alone,  the  little  Vermilion 
wriggled  over  right  side  up,  and  sat  panting  but  still 
full  of  fight.  Evidently  he  did  not  know  when  he  was 
beaten.  His  beady  eyes  flashed  fire,  his  crest  quivered, 
his  wings  were  spread  and  his  tail  raised,  while  every 
individual  feather  bristled  with  impotent  rage.  A  small 
brown  bird,  evidently  his  mate,  flew  down  near  him 
uttering  low  chirps.  With  the  unreasonableness  of  his 
sex,  he  turned  like  a  flash  upon  her  and  angrily  drove 
her  away.  After  a  few  moments  of  rest  he  was  ap- 
parently as  gay  as  ever,  and  was  off  again  on  his  wooing, 
no  whit  less  ardent  for  his  defeat. 

His  nest  was  discovered  in  process  of  construction 
nine  feet  from  the  ground  in  the  mesquite  in  which  his 
mate  had  been  hiding.  It  was  a  shallow  affair  of  small 
twigs,  fine  grasses,  vegetable  fibre,  plant  down,  and  web- 
like  stuff  probably  from  a  spider's  nest  or  a  cocoon. 
Inside  a  thin  lining  of  plant  down  was  matted  neatly 
about.  On  April  24  the  first  egg  was  laid,  and  one  each 
day  thereafter  until  there  were  three.  Twelve  and  a 
half  days  were  required  for  incubation,  and  during  this 
time  I  never  saw  the  male  nearer  to  the  nest  than  six 
feet.  The  almost  naked  nestlings  were  salmon-pinkish  ; 
and,  as  in  the  case  of  most  newly  hatched  birds,  the  eyes 
were  covered  with  a  membrane.  On  the  fourth  day 
this  parted  in  a  slit,  giving  them  a  comical,  half-awake 
look,  while  grayish  down  stood  out  thickly  on  the  crown 
and  along  the  back.  On  the  tenth  day  they  were  fairly 


470  LAND   BIRDS 

feathered,  but  remained  in  the  nest  until  the  fourteenth 
and  sixteenth  days,  when  one  and  two,  respectively, 
fluttered  out  on  untried  wings.  The  father  took  charge 
of  the  one  that  left  home  first,  while  the  patient  mother 
fed  and  coaxed  the  lazy  ones.  These  were  finally  started 
into  flight  by  a  little  judicious  jiggling  of  the  nest  branch 
on  the  part  of  a  less  patient  observer. 

The  call  of  the  Vermilion  is  a  characteristic  loud  and 
constantly  repeated  "  peet,  peet,"  or  "  peet-ter-weet." 
The  song  is  a  clear  twittering  remarkable  only  for  its 
joyous  enthusiasm. 


498  e.   SAN   DIEGO   RED- WINGED   BLACKBIRD. 

Agelaius  pkceniceus  neutralis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc. 

Length:  7.85-9.00. 

Adults:   Similar  to  Sonoran  red-winged,  hut  smaller;   female  darker, 

with  upper  parts  less  conspicuously  streaked,  while  under  parts  are 

more  so. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Great  Basin  district  of  United  States,  south 

through  Southern  California. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Locally  in  the  interior  and  southern  part  of 

the  State,  chiefly  in  San  Diegan  district. 
Breeding  Season:  April  15  to  May  25. 
Nest  and  Eggs :  Similar  to  those  of  the  Sonoran  red-wing. 

THE  Red-winged  Blackbird  of  the  East  is,  in  Cali- 
fornia, divided  into  three  subspecies, — the  Sonoran, 
which  occurs  only  along  the  Colorado  River  in  the  extreme 
southeastern  corner  of  the  State ;  the  San  Diego,  which 
is  common  locally  throughout  the  interior  and  southern 
districts,  breeding  wherever  found,  but  most  abundant 


RED  CONSPICUOUS   IN   PLUMAGE         471 

in  the  San  Diegan  district ;  and  the  Northwestern,  found 
in  the  northern  counties.  The  habits  of  the  species  are 
identical,  for  all  are  marsh-loving  birds,  building  their 
nests  among  the  rushes  or  bushes  along  the  edge  of  the 
water.  All  the  summer,  fall,  and  winter  the  San  Diego 
Red-wings  frolic  and  feed  in  large  flocks,  wandering  over 
the  farm  lands  of  the  valleys  and  piping  their  gay  "  kon- 
karee  "  from  all  the  fruit  trees.  At  this  time  their  food 
consists  of  insects  that  are  injurious  to  fruit  trees  and 
the  farmers'  crops,  for  they  glean  alike  in  the  orchard  and 
behind  the  plough,  picking  up  not  only  adult  insects,  but 
the  larvae  and  eggs.  Grains  of  all  sorts  and  seeds  are 
also  part  of  their  diet,  yet  the  small  harm  they  do  is 
greatly  overbalanced  by  the  good  they  accomplish.  When 
nesting  time  comes  they  are  off  to  the  marshes  and 
sloughs.  Here  they  nest  in  large  colonies,  sometimes 
numbering  hundreds,  the  nests  so  close  together  that  the 
young  birds  can  almost  hop  from  one  to  the  next.  After 
the  manner  of  the  yellow-heads,  the  male  Red-wings 
take  small  share  in  nest  building  or  brooding.  In  the 
East  this  bird  is  not  infrequently  a  victim  of  the  para- 
sitic cowbird  egg,  and  when  this  happens  the  brood  is 
abandoned  or  a  second  nest  is  constructed  on  top  of  the 
old  one.  Occasionally  these  double-decker  affairs  are  a 
foot  high  with  one  half-incubated  brood  walled  securely 
into  the  lower  part  and  a  second  reared  above  it.  Nests 
built  on  the  edges  of  the  marsh  or  near  the  open  water 
are  always  much  deeper  and  more  securely  fastened  to 
the  rushes  than  those  placed  in  more  sheltered  locations, 
as  if  the  wise  little  architects  knew  the  greater  strength 


472 


LAND   BIRDS 


necessary  to  resist  the  force  of  wind  and  wave.  The 
newly  hatched  young  Red-wings  are  just  the  color  of  a 
ripe  apricot,  and  entirely  naked.  In  a  few  days  dark 
lines  of  embryonic  pinfeathers  show  along  each  side  of 
the  spine  and  the  edge  of  the 
wings ;  then  a  soft  grayish  down 
covers  throat,  breast,  and  top  of 
head.  By  and  by  brown 
feathers  push  out  through 
the  quills,  and  the  promise 
of  a  tail  appears.  The  eyes 
open,  the  skin  grows  darker,  chang-  . 
to  greenish  gray  on  the  fore- 
head, which  remains  entirely  bare 
even  after  they  are  fully  feathered. 
When  twelve  days  old  the  nest- 
lings begin  to  stand  up  after  the 
manner  of  young  birds,  stretch  legs 
and  wings,  and  tease  for  food  with  coaxing 
chirps.  And  now  the  father,  who  has  been 
a  proud  spectator  of  their  progress 
as  well  as  a  constant  attendant  on 
their  wants,  has  to  work  harder 
than  ever.  Water  bugs  of  all 
sorts,  especially  the  tiny  black  beetles  that  squirm  by 
hundreds  on  the  surface,  dragonflies  and  butterflies,  hair- 
less caterpillars  and  fat  slugs  are  popped  into  the  ever- 
open  mouths  of  those  hungry  nestlings.  The  feeding 
by  regurgitation  ceases  when  the  young  are  four  days 
old. 


498  e.   SAN  DIEGO  RED- 
WINGED  BLACKBIRD. 


"  A  spirit  of  recklets  daring." 


RED  CONSPICUOUS   IN   PLUMAGE         473 

There  is  a  spirit  of  reckless  daring  inherent  in  every 
young  blackbird,  and  the  Red-wings  are  no  exception. 
One  of  these  bald-headed  babies  balancing  himself  gin- 
gerly on  the  edge  of  the  swaying  nest  is  a  comical  sight 
on  a  calm  day,  but  funnier  still  when  the  wind  blows. 
How  tightly  his  tiny  claws  grasp  the  stout  rushes,  as  he 
bobs  this  way  and  that  in  a  desperate  struggle  to  keep 
right  side  up  !  How  curiously  those  in  the  nest  watch 
his  gyrations  !  Occasionally  a  second  and  a  third  will 
climb  out  beside  him,  and  that  means  that  something 
is  sure  to  happen.  Too  often  it  is  a  tumble  for  all  three 
back  into  the  nest,  or  a  less  lucky  tip  out  into  the  rushes. 

As  soon  as  their  wings  are  strong  enough  for  short 
flights,  the  wise  parents  coax  them  back  to  the  safer 
feeding  ground  of  the  orchard  or  farm,  where  day  after 
day  they  pick  up  bugs,  and  night  after  night  roost  side 
by  side  with  hundreds  of  other  Red-wings  in  the  shelter 
of  the  trees. 

498  a.    SONORAN    RED-WINGED   BLACKBIRD. 

Agelaius  phoeniceus  sonoriensis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  8.15-9.35  ;  female  6.80-7.86. 

Adult  Male :  Uniform  black,  except  for  red  and  buffy  or  whitish  shoulder 
patches. 

Adult  Female:  Plumage  not  so  glossy  as  the  male's  ;  upper  parts  more 
or  less  streaked  with  dusky  ;  top  of  head  and  fore  part  of  back  dark 
brown,  with  buffy  median  crown  stripe  and  superciliary ;  shoulders 
faintly  tinged  with  red  ;  under  parts  broadly  streaked  with  dusky 
and  whitish  ;  chin  and  throat  more  or  less  tinged  with  buffy  or 
pinkish. 

Geographical  Distribution :  From  the  Lower  Colorado  valley  in  Southern 
California  and  Arizona  south  to  Mexico. 


474  LAND   BIRDS 

Breeding  Range :  Southeastern  portion  of  State  along  Lower  Colorado 

River. 

Breeding  Season  :  April  to  June. 
Nest:  Usually  built  in  reeds  or  bushes,  near  the  ground,  and  sometimes 

in  a  clump  of  grass  ;  made  of  rushes  or  sedges  ;  lined  with  finer  grass. 
Eggs:  3  to  5  ;  light  blue,  marbled,  blotched,  and  clouded  with  light  and 

dark  purple  and  black.     Size  1.00  X  0.75. 


499.    BICOLORED    BLACKBIRD.  —  Agelaius  gubernator 
californicus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc. 

Length  :  Male  7.80-8.60  ;  female  6.90-7.50. 

Adult  Male:  Plumage  black,  red  shoulder  patch;  middle  wing-coverts 

butfy  or  brownish  at  the  base,  but  concealed  by  black  tips. 
Adult  Female:   Nearly  uniform  dusky  and  streaked  ;  chin  and  throat 

pale   buffy  or  pinkish,  the  latter  marked  with  triangular  spots  of 

dusky. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Valleys  of  California  and  "Western  Oregon, 

south  into  Mexico. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Locally  in  the  interior  valleys  west  of  the 

Sierra  Nevada. 

Breeding  Season :  April  to  July. 
A'cst :  Placed  on  tufts  of  marsh  grass  or  weeds,  from  1  to  3  feet  above 

the  water ;  made  of  grasses  and  strips  of  bark  ;  lined  with  grass  and 

sometimes  horsehair. 
Eggs:  2  to  4  ;  light  bluish  green,  generally  marbled,  spotted  and  streaked 

with  brown,  black,  and  purple.     Size  1.00  X  0.68. 

THE  Bicolored  Blackbird  is  similar  in  all  his  habits 
to  the  red-winged.  His  nest  differs  only  in  the  bark 
and  horsehair  used  in  construction,  and  the  shallower 
cup.  Like  all  blackbirds,  he  loves  wet  meadows  and 
marshes  near  open  water,  and  during  the  breeding  sea- 
son is  found  in  these  localities.  For  the  rest  of  the  year 
he  roves  in  company  with  the  Brewer  blackbirds  over 
the  valleys  of  the  interior  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 


RED   CONSPICUOUS   IN   PLUMAGE         475 

mountains.  His  call-note  is  a  loud  metallic  "  konkaree  " 
that  can  scarcely  be  distinguished  from  that  of  the  red- 
wing. 

500.    TRICOLORED   BLACKBIRD.  —  Agelaius  tricolor. 
FAMILY  :  The  Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  8.00-9.05  ;  female  7.10-7.85. 

Adult  Male:  Glossy  blue-black  with  silky  plumage;  shoulder  patches 
dark  red,  bordered  with  white  (tinged  with  buff'  in  winter). 

Adult  Female :  Plumage  silky  texture  ;  upper  parts  dusky,  with  green- 
ish lustre  ;  crown  streaked  ;  scapulars  and  interscapulars  with  grayish 
edgings ;  wings  with  grayish  and  white  bands  ;  throat  and  chest 
streaked ;  remainder  of  under  parts  dusky. 

Young :  Similar  to  female,  but  browner,  and  under  parts  finely  streaked  ; 
wings  with  two  bands. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Valleys  of  the  Pacific  coast  from  Southern 
California  to  Western  Oregon. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Locally  in  the  interior  valleys  west  of  the 
Sierra  Nevada,  from  Mt.  Shasta  to  San  Diego  ;  east  to  Lake  Tahoe. 

Breeding  Season :  May  to  July. 

Nest  and  Eggs :  Similar  to  those  of  the  Sonoran  red-wing. 

THE  Tricolored  Blackbird  is. a  common  resident  of 
the  interior  valleys  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  from 
Mount  Shasta  to  San  Diego.  In  the  vicinity  of  Lake 
Tahoe  these  birds  stray  across  the  crest,  but  not  in  the 
numbers  in  which  they  are  found  westward. 

They  breed  in  large  colonies  in  the  tule  marshes  and 
wet  meadows,  oftentimes  placing  the  nests  in  trees  or 
bushes  after  the  manner  of  the  red-wing.  "  Mr.  Hen- 
shaw  found  a  colony  of  these  birds  nesting  in  a  dry 
pasture  in  a  patch  of  nettles  and  briars  covering  between 
three  and  four  acres  in  the  Santa  Clara  valley,  Cali- 
fornia. The  nettles  grew  so  dense  and  high  (twelve  feet) 
that  he  found  it  almost  impossible  to  force  his  way  into 


476  LAND   BIRDS 

their  midst.  Two  hundred  pair  were  here  congregated 
to  rear  their  young,  and  the  odor  could  only  be  com- 
pared to  that  of  a  cormorant  rookery.  Nearly  every 
bush  had  several  nests."1  This  was  in  1875.  I  doubt 
whether  such  a  patch  of  wilderness  could  be  found 
in  Santa  Clara  County  at  present,  but  the  birds  still 
nest  there  in  smaller  numbers.  I  have  never  found 
more  than  from  ten  to  twenty  nests  in  one  place. 

The  nests  can  be  told  from  those  of  the  red-wings 
only  by  their  looser  construction  and  their  shallowness. 
The  newly  hatched  nestlings  are  exactly  like  those  of 
the  red-wings  and  are  fed  and  cared  for  in  the  same 
manner;  even  when  a  month  old  they  can  scarcely  be 
distinguished  from  their  more  common  Eastern  relatives. 


515  b.   CALIFORNIA   PINE   GROSBEAK.  —  Pinicola 
enucleator  californica. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  Male  7.75  ;  female  7.40-7.95. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  pale  vermilion  ;  head  tinged  with  pinkish  and 
yellow  ;  scapulars  light  gray  ;  wings  and  tail  dusky  ;  feathers  tipped 
with  whitish ;  under  parts  light  gray  ;  entire  plumage  gray  beneath 
the  surface. 

Adult  Female :  General  plumage  light  gray  ;  top  and  sides  of  head,  back 
of  neck,  and  middle  of  breast  bright  tan-color ;  upper  tail-coverts 
tinged  with  light  yellow. 

Young :  Similar  to  female,  but  brownish  gray,  with  brownish  and  gray- 
ish edgings  to  wings  and  tail. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Boreal  zone  on  the  central  Sierra  Nevada  ; 
north  to  Placer  County  ;  south  to  Fresno  County. 

Breeding  Range :  Coextensive  with  its  habitat. 

1  Bendire's  "Life  Histories,"  p.  457. 


RED   CONSPICUOUS   IN   PLUMAGE         477 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  Flat,  thin  structure  composed  of  rootlets  and  twigs,  lined  with 
finer  roots,  usually  placed  in  coniferous  trees. 

HIGH  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  range  where,  all  the  year 
long,  the   crevices    and   sunless  nooks   hold  patches  of 
snow,  where  the  dark  hemlock  forests  cover  the  moun- 
tain sides  with  their  shad- 
ows,  the   Pine    Grosbeak 
finds    temperature,    food, 
and  breeding  grounds  ex- 
actly to  his  liking.     Nor 
when  the  storms  of  winter 
howl    through    the    pines 
does   he   go    far    to   seek   a 
warmer  climate.     He  seems 
fairly  to  revel  in  the  swirling 
clouds   of  snow,   and,    until 
driven  by  hunger  to  seek  food 
lower    down    the    mountain, 
he  will   stay  in   his   favorite    . 
haunts.     On   the   edge  of  a 

snowdrift  you  may  see  him         515b'     ™A  1>IKK 
picking  up  the    wind-blown        »He  seems  f<lirly  to  revel  in  the 

j  IP  •  -IT          swirling  clouds  of  mow." 

seeds  and  frozen    insecs  life 

that  come  there  no  man  knows  how.  When  the  summer 
suns  have  warmed  the  mountains,  he  whistles  most 
musical  love  songs  as  he  frolics  through  the  trees  with 
his  mate.  At  all  times,  except  the  few  weeks  of  the 
breeding  season,  he  is  found  in  company  with  others 
of  his  kind,  both  male  and  female.  Early  in  May  the 


478  LAND  BIRDS 

flocks  separate,  each  pair  going  to  its  chosen  nesting  site 
in  the  furry  hemlocks,  and  house-building  begins.  Both 
sexes  -carry  material  and  weave  the  walls  of  the  home, 
which  is  well  hidden  and  securely  fastened  among  the 
thick  branches.  It  is  very  difficult  to  discover  even  when 
you  have  located  the  tree,  and  the  birds  themselves,  al- 
though not  shy,  are  wary  about  disclosing  this  secret. 
So  the  bird-lover  must  be  content  with  lying  under  the 
hemlocks  and  watching  the  pretty  rose-colored  male  carry- 
ing food  to  his  mate  through  the  days  of  incubation  ;  and 
listening  to  his  liquid  trilling,  as  the  setting  sun  tinges 
his  breast  with  a  deeper  rose,  or  as  at  four  A.  M.  he  greets 
another  blue  day.  He  makes  a  welcome  bit  of  color  in 
the  sombre  woods,  and  delicious  music  in  their  silence. 
Unless  you  hear  his  rival,  the  Townsend  solitaire,  who 
frequents  much  the  same  haunts,  you  are  quite  ready  to 
call  him  the  musician  of  the  mountain  tops. 


517  a.    CALIFORNIA    PURPLE   FINCH.  —  Carpodacus 
purpureus  californicus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  5.50-6.25. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  dark  madder-pink,  clear  on  rump,  deeper  and 
brighter  on  top  of  head  ;  back  streaked  with  dusky  ;  middle  of  belly 
and  lower  tail-coverts  white  ;  remainder  of  under  parts  light  rose- 
pink  with  sides  and  flanks  strongly  tinged  with  brownish  and  streaked 
with  darker. 

Adult  Female:  Upper  parts  grayish  olive,  heavily  streaked  with  brown  ; 
under  parts  ashy  white,  finely  streaked  ;  sides  of  head  with  two  dis- 
tinct brownish  stripes,  one  on  ear-coverts,  the  other  on  each  side  of 
throat,  —  the  two  separated  by  a  whitish  stripe. 


RED   CONSPICUOUS   IN   PLUMAGE         479 

Young:  Similar  to  adult  female,  but  colors  duller,  markings  less  dis- 
tinct, and  edgings  of  wing-feathers  more  buffy. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  of  United  States,  from  Southern 
California  to  British  Columbia. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Upper  Sonoran  and  Transition  zones  west 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada  range. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  A  flat  thin  structure  ;  made  of  fine  rootlets  and  grasses  ;  placed  on 
the  horizontal  limbs  of  trees. 

Eggs :  2  to  4  ;  greenish  blue,  finely  speckled  on  large  end  with  dark 
brown  and  black.  Size  0.75  X  0.55. 

THE  California  Purple  Finch  is  one  of  those  species 
which  indulge  in  a  semi-annual  vertical  migration. 
Spending  the  winter  among  the  lowlands,  feeding 
through  the  valleys  in  small  flocks,  as  soon  as  the  snow 
begins  to  melt  in  the  mountains,  they  work  their  way 
slowly  to  the  higher  levels.  And  the  fruit-growers  are 
not  sorry  to  see  them  go,  for  during  their  brief  stay 
through  the  winter  months  they  have  eaten  the  buds  of 
the  deciduous  trees,  doing  incalculable  harm  to  the 
crops. 

Half-way  up  the  mountains,  at  an  altitude  of  from 
three  thousand  to  five  thousand  feet,  they  find  suitable 
breeding  grounds  in  the  yellow  pines,  oaks,  and  red- 
woods. The  nest  is  built  usually  on  a  horizontal  branch, 
and  is  composed  of  wiry  grass  and  fine  rootlets  woven 
into  a  shallow  cup  and  lined  witli  wool  or  horsehair. 

Incubation  lasts  thirteen  days  ;  and,  §o  far  as  I  have 
observed,  the  male  does  not  brood  upon  the  eggs,  al- 
though he  does  take  charge  during  the  absence  of  the 
female. 

The  song  of  the  Purple  Finch  is  a  pleasing  warble 
kept  up  during  most  of  his  waking  hours  in  the  breeding 


480  LAND    BIRDS 

season.     The  call-note  is  a  chirp  not  unlike  that  of  the 
English  sparrow,  but  somewhat  softer. 


518.    CASSIN    PURPLE    FINCH.  —  Carpodacns  cassini. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  6.50-6.95. 

Adult  Male :  Upper  parts  pinkish  brown,  clearly  streaked  with  dark 
brown  ;  top  of  head  bright  crimson ;  rump  subdued  rose-pink  ;  throat 
and  breast  pale  rose-pink  ;  belly  white ;  sides  tinged  with  pinkish ; 
lower  tail-coverts  conspicuously  streaked  with  dusky  ;  wing-feathers 
edged  with  reddish. 

Adult  Female :  Upper  parts  olive-gray  j  under  parts  white  ;  entire  plu- 
mage conspicuously  streaked  with  dusky. 

Young:  Similar  to  adult  female,  but  streaks  on  lower  parts  narrower  and 
less  conspicuous,  and  wing-edgings  more  tawny  butt'. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  United  States,  north  to  British 
Columbia,  east  to  Rocky  Mountains,  south  to  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Lower  Boreal  zone  from  Mt.  Shasta  to  Los 
Angeles  County  ;  also  Inyo  Mountains  and  White  Mountains. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  Flat  and  thin  ;  composed  mostly  of  rootlets  and  grasses ;  lined 
with  moss  and  cotton  ;  placed  near  the  tops  of  young  pines,  on  hori- 
zontal branches. 

Eggs :  2  to  4  ;  light  bluish  green,  dotted  around  the  larger  end  with 
slate,  lilac,  and  dark  brown.  Size  0.84  X  0.62. 

FLOCKS  of  Cassin  Purple  Finches  are  met  with  along 
the  entire  high  Sierra  Nevada  from  Mount  Shasta  south- 
ward. The  winter  storms  only  drive  them  a  little  lower 
down  to  the  shelter  of  the  brush,  or  in  severe  seasons 
to  the  foot-hills  ;  but  even  then  it  is  not  uncommon  to 
find  a  small  flock  huddled  under  a  fallen  tree  for  shelter 
and  trying  to  brave  it  out  in  the  snow.  With  the  re- 
turning spring  the  flocks  go  back  to  their  pine-covered 
haunts  in  the  higher  altitudes. 


RED  CONSPICUOUS   IN    PLUMAGE        481 

The  saucer-shaped  nest  of  this  species  is  placed  in 
the  top  of  a  tall  fir  and  is  nearly  always  inaccessible. 
Twelve  days  are  required  for  incubation,  and  as  soon  as 
the  young  are  able  to  care  for  themselves  the  brood  and 
adults  move  higher  up  the  mountain  in  the  wake  of 
summer. 

The  song  of  the  Cassin  Finch  is  rich  and  melodious, 
of  a  softer  quality  than  that  of  the  California  purple 
finch,  but  less  varied.  Its  call-note  is  a  clear  "  cheep." 


519.    HOUSE   FINCH,   OR   LINNET.  —  Carpodacus 
mexicanus  frontalis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows^  etc. 

Length:  5.75-6.25. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  brownish  gray,  tinged  with  carmine;  back 
faintly  streaked ;  forehead,  superciliary,  and  rump  rose-pink  or  car- 
mine ;  throat  and  breast  reddish ;  belly  whitish,  sharply  streaked 
with  brown. 

Adult  Female:  Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  faintly  streaked  ;  under 
parts  white,  broadly  streaked. 

Young:  Similar  to  female  ;  upper  parts  more  distinctly  streaked  ;  under 
parts  less  distinctly  streaked  ;  wing-coverts  tipped  with  butty. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  United  States  from  Rocky  Moun- 
tains to  Pacific  coast ;  from  Oregon  to  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range:  Chiefly  below  Transition  zone,  in  suitable 
localities  throughout  the  State. 

Breeding  Season :  April,  May,  and  June. 

Nest:  A  compactly  woven  cup ;  composed  of  grass  and  vegetable  fibre  ; 
placed  in  evergreens,  palms,  and  other  trees  and  shrubs  about  the 
house. 

Eggs:  3  to  6  ;  pale  blue,  nearly  white,  thinly  speckled  with  black.  Size 
0.80  X  0.55. 

THE   House   Finch   is   popularly   known   throughout 
California  as  the  Linnet,  and  is  one  bird  for  whom  the 

31 


482  LAND   BIRDS 

residents  have  little  praise.  So  numerous  are  these 
birds  and  so  destructive  to  fruit  that  a  continual  warfare 
is  waged  against  them  by  poison  and  by  gun.  Hun- 
dreds are  sold  in  the  bird-stores  annually,  sometimes 
at  the  low  price  of  twenty-five  cents  each.  But  to 
the  newcomer  and  the  tourist  the  pretty  pink-breasted 
songsters  are  one  of  the  attractive  features  of  the  garden, 
where  they  take  the  place  of  the  robin  of  the  East.  No 
bird  is  more  tame  or  more  confiding.  In  the  rose  that 
clambers  over  your  window,  or  the  evergreens  on  the 
lawn,  he  will  build  his  nest,  absolutely  refusing  to  believe 
that  he  is  not  wanted.  His  happy  song  wakens  you  in 
the  morning  and  is  the  last  to  cease  at  night,  and  when 
his  pretty  brown  sweetheart  is  listening,  his  little  pink 
throat  ruffles  and  swells  with  the  torrent  of  music. 
Then  he  sings  on  the  wing  in  rocket-like  bursts  of  melody, 
and  executes  wonderful  gyrations  for  her  sole  benefit. 
A  moment  later  they  are  off  together  over  the  roses 
looking  for  a  place  to  hide  the  tiny  home.  The  choice 
is  varied.  A  palm  tree,  a  vine  at  the  kitchen  door,  a 
nook  in  the  chicken  yard,  the  top  of  an  open-air  pantry, 
the  inside  of  a  hat  put  up*  for  a  scarecrow,  or  a  shoe 
flung  into  a  tree  in  childish  sport,  are  each  and  all  eligible 
building  sites.  After  weaving  the  nest  out  of  grasses 
usually  mixed  with  pine  needles  and  a  few  feathers,  the 
little  brown  mother  broods  for  thirteen  days,  assisted 
by  her  mate  at  long  intervals.  The  babies  are  naked, 
except  for  a  scant  bit  of  down  on  head  and  back,  and 
are  of  a  pinkish  gray  color.  Like  most  young  birds,  they 
are  born  blind  and  do  not  open  their  eyes  until  the 


RED   CONSPICUOUS   IN   PLUMAGE         483 

fourth  or  fifth  day.  They  feather  very  rapidly,  and  on 
the  fifteenth  day  are  on  the  edge  of  the  nest  ready  for 
their  de"but.  It  is  at  this  time  that  the  domestic  cat 
and  the  small  boy  collecting  for  the  bird-store  get  in 
their  deadly  work.  Were  the  robins  of  the  East  no 
better  protected  than  are  these  feathered  citizens  of 
California,  they  would  soon  become  only  a  legend  to 
tell  our  grandchildren. 

I  have  watched  the  Finches  feed  their  young,  by 
regurgitation  at  first  and  later  with  fresh  food,  and  very 
rarely  do  they  bring  fruit  to  the  nest.  Seeds  of  various 
weeds  and  small  green  caterpillars  formed  the  larger 
part  of  the  diet,  at  least  of  the  nestlings.  In  spite  of 
their  bad  name,  I  believe  they  will  some  day  be  proved 
to  have  accomplished  a  fair  amount  of  good  to  offset 
the  evil  charged  against  them,  if  in  no  greater  way  than 
by  eating  the  seeds  of  injurious  weeds. 


521  (part).  BENDIRE   CROSSBILL.  —Loxia  curviroslra 
bendirei. 

FAMILY  :    The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  6.80-7.25. 

Adult  Male:  Plumage  dull  red  ;  brighter  on  rump  ;  wings  and  tail  uni- 
form dusky  ;  feathers  of  back  indistinctly  streaked. 

Adult  Female :  Plumage  olive,  varying  in  shade  from  a  grayish  to  a  yel- 
lowish cast. 

Young:  Plumage  light  olive;  under  parts  lighter,  streaked  all  over, 
except  on  wings  and  tail,  with  dusky. 

Geographical  Distribution:  In  the  mountainous  parts  of  the  Southwest- 
ern United  States  from  Western  Kansas,  Colorado,  and  Arizona,  south 
through  highlands  of  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range:  Locally  in  the  central  Sierra  Nevada. 


484 


LAND   BIRDS 


Breeding  Season :  March  and  April. 

Nest:  Of  spruce  twigs,  shreds  of  soft  bark,  etc.;  lined  with  horsehair, 

fine  rootlets,  etc.;  rather  flat ;  placed  in  coniferous  trees. 
Eggs:  3  or  4 ;  pale  greenish,  spotted  and  dotted  about  the  larger  end 

with  shades  of  brown  and  lavender.     Size  0.75  X  0.57. 

WHEREVER  in  the  Sierra  Nevada  you  find  pine  cones 
in  plenty,  look  for  the  Crossbills.  From  Placer  County 
to  Mount  Whitney  they  are  more  or  less  common  dur- 
ing the  summer.  We  use  this 
phrase  advisedly,  for  never  were 
birds  more  capricious  in  the 
choice  of  feeding  and  nesting 
grounds.  If  here  one  season, 
as  likely  as  not  next  year  will 
find  them  miles  away.  But  because  you 
may  not  have  seen  them,  do  not  decide 
that  they  are  not  near.  One  hundred 
feet  away  a  flock  of  twenty  to  fifty  may 
be  feasting  in  the  tree  tops  and  not  one 
elsewhere.  Or  you  may  have  them  as 
neighbors  to-day,  and  to-morrow  find  no 
trace  of  one.  In  the  winter  this  is  even 
more  true,  for  they  straggle  irregularly 
over  the  central  part  of  the  State  even 
as  far  south  as  Pasadena.  At  Mon- 
terey they  are  irregular  summer  visitants ;  and  since 
they  are  without  established  laws  as  to  breeding 
range,  they  may  even  be  found  breeding  there.  The 
nest  is  placed  on  the  horizontal  branch  of  a  coniferous 
tree,  usually  about  twenty  feet  from  the  ground,  and 
both  sexes  assist  in  its  construction.  From  the  curi- 


521  a.  MEXICAN 
CROSSBILL. 


,  chick- 


adeefashi 


BLUE  OR   METALLIC  BLUE  485 

ously  twisted  shape  of  the  bill  one  would  expect  them 
to  have  some  trouble  in  carrying  twigs  to  it,  but  they 
manage  very  well.  Instead  of  picking  up  from  the 
ground  the  twigs  needed,  they  wisely  prefer  to  pull  them 
from  the  tree,  selecting  brittle,  dead  limbs.  In  procur- 
ing the  fine  rootlets  with  which  the  nest  is  made,  their 
awkward  bill  is  an  advantage.  It  is  a  great  advantage, 
also,  in  prying  open  the  pine  cones  and  dexterously  ex- 
tracting the  seeds.  In  doing  this  they  frequently  hang, 
head  down,  chickadee  fashion,  or  climb  over  the  cones 
by  means  of  beak  and  claws.  It  has  been  a  question 
how  and  on  what  the  very  young  Crossbills  are  fed.  Re- 
gurgitation  would  seem  to  be  impossible  in  their  case. 
Fortune  has  never  favored  me  in  watching  a  brood  de- 
velop, for  in  every  instance  the  eggs  were  "  collected," 
either  by  a  small  boy  or  a  squirrel,  before  they  hatched. 

The  only  sounds  I  have  ever  heard  a  Crossbill  utter  are 
the  "  kimp,  kimp,"  always  described  in  connection  with 
them,  which  sounds  like  the  crackling  of  the  cones,  and 
a  twittering  conversation  early  in  the  morning  when  the 
mate  is  on  the  nest.  They  are  fond  of  water,  and  bathe 
early  and  late. 

BLUE  OR   METALLIC   BLUE   CONSPICUOUS   IN  PLUMAGE 

478  e.  GRINNELL   JAY.  —  Cyanocitta  stelleri  carbenacea. 

FAMILY  :  The  Crows,  Jays,  Magpies,  etc. 

Length:  12.00-13.00. 

Adults  :  Head  (including  conspicuous  crest),  neck,  and  back  dull  bl'ack  ; 

wings  and  tail  purplish  blue,  barred  with  black  ;  under  parts  blue. 
Young:  Similar    to    adults,   but   with    duller    and    less    conspicuous 

markings. 


486  LAND   BIRDS 

Geographical  Distribution:  Coast  of  California,  from  Monterey  to  the 
Columbia  River  east  in  Oregon  to  the  Cascades. 

Breeding  Range :  Transition  zone  south  through  humid  coast  belt  to 
Monterey. 

Breeding  Season:  April  and  May  (a  few  rare  records  in  March). 

Nest:  Usually  placed  in  fir  trees  30  to  55  feet  from  the  ground,  some- 
times in  other  trees  or  vines  ;  made  of  twigs,  moss,  and  dry  grass, 
well  cemented  with  mud  ;  lined  with  fine  roots. 

Eggs:  3  to  5  ;  dull,  pale,  bluish  green,  spotted  and  blotched  over  the 
entire  surface  with  brown  and  lavender.  Size  1.24  X  0.92. 


"  THERE  are  many  handsome  blue  jays,  but  the  stelleri 
in  its  numerous  forms,  with  its  blue  body  and  high  crest, 
is  one  of  the  lords  of  the  race,  fittingly  associated  with 
the  noblest  forests  of  the  West  "  (Mrs.  Bailey). 

The  Steller  Jay  is  variously  subdivided  in  California. 
The  form  known  as  the  Coast  Jay  is  usually  resident 
wherever  found,  and  is  common  in  California  along  the 
coast  from  Oregon  as  far  as  the  southern  boundary  of 
Monterey  County.  In  the  vicinity  of  Monterey  and 
Pacific  Grove  these  Jays  are  very  abundant.  Some  one 
has  called  them  the  "  policemen  of  the  woods,"  but  brig- 
ands would  be  a  much  more  fitting  cognomen.  Flying  in 
bands  with  jolly  good  fellowship,  they  are  the  torment 
of  the  more  peaceful  woodland  dwellers.  Nowhere  are 
they  welcome.  The  appearance  of  one  is  the  signal  for 
the  more  fearless  of  the  small  birds  to  sally  out  en  masse 
and  drive  them  away  ;  for  right  well  these  helpless  wood- 
folk  know  that  here  is  a  monster  who  will,  if  he  can, 
devour  both  their  eggs  and  their  nestlings.  His  mim- 
icry of  the  notes  of  various  birds  of  prey  strikes  terror  to 
the  mother  birds  brooding  the  young  and  to  the  father 
on  guard  near  by.  Small  wonder  he  is  hated. 


BLUE   OR   METALLIC  BLUE 


487 


And  yet  a  Blue  Jay  can  be  gentle,  and  few  birds  are 
so  devoted  to  mates  or  young.  Two  robins  may  quarrel, 
two  orioles  often  do,  but  Blue  Jays  never.  If  a  young 
Jay  is  taken  from  one  nest  and  placed  in  another,  he  re- 
ceives the  same  treatment  from  his  foster  parents  that 
their  own  young  do  ;  but  these  same  Blue  Jays  will 
bring  the  nestlings  of  other  birds  for  him  to  eat. 

Their  ordinary  call-note  is  very  discordant,  but  I  have 
heard  them  sing  their  love  songs  at  four  A.  M.,  when 
no  one  was  supposed  to  hear 
but   the  mother  bird   on  the 
nest    in    the    tall    pine    tree. 
Those  critics  who  write  learn- 
edly   of   bird    songs,    putting 
them   into    notes  on  a  scale, 
may  not  speak  of  this  clear, 
low   conversational 
warbling   as    "  music," 
but  it  is  the  outpour- 
ing  of  a  great  joy,  bless- 

,.,       .,         . 

ing  alike  the  singer  and 
the  one  who  hears. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Monterey,  nest-building  usually  be- 
gins early  in  April,  and  for  ten  days  the  male  brings 
twigs,  rootlets,  moss,  and  grass,  with  mud  enough  to 
cement  them  well  together.  These  the  female  weaves 
into  a  cup-shaped  affair  quite  unlike  the  flat  platform  of 
twigs  made  by  our  Eastern  jays.  It  is  oftenest  lined 
with  pine  needles  or  rootlets,  but  occasionally  short  hair 
from  cattle  or  deer  is  found  in  it.  Incubation  lasts  six- 


478'  STELLER  JAY" 

are,  they 


488  LAND   BIRDS 

teen  days,  and  during  this  time,  although  the  male  is  fre- 
quently left  in  charge  of  the  nest,  I  have  never  seen  him 
attempt  to  brood  the  eggs,  as  the  mother  does.  He  will 
perch  on  the  side  of  the  nest,  look  at  the  contents  with 
head  cocked  sidewise  in  a  comical  mixture  of  pride  and 
masculine  helplessness  in  the  care  of  infants.  He  knows 
something  is  necessary  to  keep  the  wonderful  treasure 
warm,  but  just  how  to  go  about  it  is  a  puzzle.  But 
when  those  four  dull  eggs  have  become  a  nest  full  of 
queer-looking  babies,  he  knows  exactly  what  to  do. 
They  are  hungry,  and  who  can  feed  them  so  deftly  as  he  ? 
So,  from  dawn  to  dusk,  he  is  hustling  in  true  Western 
fashion  for  bugs  of  all  sorts  and  varieties,  for  fruit  and 
berries.  Later  he  will  show  these  same  nestlings  how 
to  extract  an  acorn  from  the  store  of  the  California  wood- 
pecker, how  to  crack  a  pine  nut,  how  to  hold  a  piece  of 
meat  in  their  strong  claws  and  tear  off  bits  of  it,  how 
to  dash  into  the  ice-cold  water  and  enjoy  the  morning 
plunge,  how  to  shake  each  little  feather  and  dry  and 
comb  it  into  place  again,  how  to  frolic  among  the  tall 
pine  trees  or  over  the  sand  dunes  following  the  leader, 
how  to  hide  motionless  in  the  shadows  when  the  hawk 
flies  by,  and,  alas !  how  to  wait  until  helpless  nest- 
lings are  left  alone  and  then  sneak  up  and  steal  one. 
All  this  and  more  will  they  learn  of  the  lore  of  the 
woods,  which  every  wild  creature  must  know  if  he  would 
live.  That  most  of  these  habits  are  acquired  only  by 
imitation  is  thoroughly  proven  by  the  helplessness  of 
those  birds  which  have  been  taken  from  the  nest  when 
young  and  raised  in  captivity.  Although  liberated  as 


BLUE   OR   METALLIC  BLUE  489 

soon  as  they  are  fully  fledged,  they  seldom  learn  to  hunt 
their  food  until  taught  patiently  and  slowly  by  their  cap- 
tors ;  and  they  never  acquire  the  caution  necessary  for 
their  self-preservation  in  a  wild  life. 


478  a.    BLUE-FRONTED   JAY.  —  Cyanocitta  stelleri 

frontalis. 
FAMILY  :  The  Crows,,  Jays,  Magpies,  etc. 

Length:  11.75-13.00. 

Adults:  Head,  neck,  and  back  brownish  slate;  crest  blue;  forehead 
streaked  with  blue  ;  wings  and  tail  dark  blue,  and  barred  ;  rump  and 
under  parts  dull  turquoise. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Both  slopes  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  from  Fort 
Crook  south  to  Lower  California.  Westward  to  the  interior  valleys 
in  winter. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Southern  coast  ranges  and  Sierra  Nevada 
from  Mt.  Shasta  to  Lower  California. 

Breeding  Season:  April  20  to  July  10. 

Nest:  Usually  in  a  fir  tree,  from  6  to  50  feet  above  the  ground,  some- 
times placed  in  natural  cavities  of  trees  and  shrubs ;  made  loosely  of 
sticks  or  stems  of  weeds  ;  lined  with  fine  roots  and  grasses. 

Eggs :  3  to  5  ;  like  those  of  the  Steller  jay. 

THE  Blue-fronted  Jay'constitutes  one  of  the  subdivis- 
ions of  the  Steller  jay.  Along  the  Sierra  Nevada  from 
Mount  Shasta  south  it  breeds  more  or  less  abundantly, 
wandering  irregularly  to  the  coast  in  the  winter.  In 
general  habits  it  is  like  the  coast  jay,  and  the  description 
of  nesting  habits  will  be  found  under  that  species.  In 
some  localities,  however,  it  is  found  nesting  in  cavities 
in  trees.  At  Julian,  California,  Colonel  Goss  obtained  a 
number  of  nests  from  hollow  trees  at  a  distance  from 
the  ground  of  four  to  fifty  feet.  It  also  builds  in  snow- 
sheds  of  the  Canadian  Pacific  Railroad  in  the  Sierra 


490  LAND   BIRDS 

Nevada.  As  in  the  case  of  the  coast  jay,  eggs  and  young 
of  other  birds  form  a  part  of  the  menu  of  the  Blue- 
fronted,  together  with  acorns,  pinon  nuts,  insects,  and 
fruit. 


481.    CALIFORNIA  JAY.  —  Aphelocoma  California. 
FAMILY  :  The  Crows,  Jays,  Magpies,  etc. 

Length:  11.50-12.25. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  blue  ;  back  and  scapulars  brownish  gray  ;  sides  of 

head  grayish  black  ;  under  parts  white,  washed  with  bright  blue  on 

sides  of  chest,  middle  portion  being  streaked  with  blue  and  brown  ; 

white  superciliary  stripe  very  distinct. 
Young:  Nearly  uniform  rusty  black;   head  tinged  with   blue;  throat 

white,  unstreaked  ;  chest  brownish  gray  ;  belly  white. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  of  United  States,  from  northern 

Oregon  to  Lower  California  ;  east  to  Western  Nevada. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Upper  Sonoran  zone,  west  of  Sierra  Nevada, 

south  to  Lower  California. 
Breeding  Season:  April  to  June  15. 
Nest :  Usually  found  in  low  bushes  or  thickets,  though  sometimes  in  a 

tree,  from  3  to  30  feet  from  the  ground ;  a  platform  of  interlaced 

twigs,  moss,  and  dry  grass  supports  the  nest  proper,  which  is  made  of 

rootlets  mixed  with  horsehair. 
Eggs:  3  to  6  ;  buffy  or  green,  varying -in  shade,  blotched  with  brown. 

Size  1.08  X  0.80. 

To  one  accustomed  to  the  handsome  blue  jay  of  the 
East  or  the  still  more  splendid  Steller  jay  of  the 
West,  the  "  flat-headed "  California  Jay  presents  a 
far  less  attractive  appearance.  Nor  does  he  improve 
upon  acquaintance ;  for,  as  one  becomes  aware  of  all  his 
iniquities,  his  crestless  head  seems  the  typical  low  fore- 
head of  a  villain.  He  is  one  of  the  greatest  trials  a 
bird-lover  must  encounter,  and  I  know  no  reason  why 
the  law  should  protect  him  to  the  destruction  of  our 


BLUE   OR   METALLIC   BLUE 


491 


beloved  birds  of  song  and  beauty.     Were  he  of  benefit 
to  the  farmer  or  the  fruit-grower,  no  word  of  dispraise 
would  I  offer ;    but   he  not   only  robs   them,  but   also 
destroys  annually  hundreds  of  feathered  creatures  which, 
living  upon  the  harmful  insects,  would  be  of  great  assist- 
ance in  preserving  the    crops.     No  hawk  is  more  de- 
structive to  small 
birds  than  is  he. 
Ruthlessly    he 
robs    every   nest 
in  his  vicinity 
that   is   left  un- 
guarded   long 
enough   for   him 
to  carry  off  eggs 
or  young.     Not 
content  with  this, 
he    pulls    down 

and  breaks  up  the  nest  itself.  f  WH1 

Usually  he  prefers  the  newly 

hatched    babies   to   the   raw  48L  CALIFORNIA  JAY. 

albumen,  and   waits  for  the  "  The  colder  the  better" 

incubation  to  be  finished.  I  have  seen  him  sneaking 
around  the  nest  of  a  pewee  day  after  day  until  the 
eggs  hatched,  when  he  at  once  made  a  breakfast  on 
the  nestlings,  —  in  this  case  calmly  disregarding  the 
frantic  cries  of  the  poor  little  mother.  When,  how- 
ever, he  must  ravage  the  home  of  a  bird  of  his  own 
size,  he  either  calls  all  his  kin  to  help,  or  comes,  like 
the  villain  he  is,  when  both  the  parents  are  away. 


492  LAND   BIRDS 

About  the  farms  and  henhouses  he  is  even  a  greater 
pest,  eating  the  eggs  and  occasionally  killing  the  newly 
hatched  chicks.  Foraging  in  bands,  these  Jays  destroy 
quantities  of  fruit  of  every  variety  and  pull  up  the  young 
sprouts  of  wheat.  In  short,  there  seems  to  be  no  limit 
to  the  Jay's  mischief,  and  nothing  too  bad  to  say  of  him. 
In  addition  to  all  this,  every  bird-student  sooner  or  later 
comes  to  feel  a  personal  grievance  against  him,  for 
seldom  or  never  does  one  of  these  pests  fail  to  discover 
your  presence  in  a  wood  and  to  give  warning  of  it  far 
and  wide  to  everything  that  flies.  As  long  as  you  stay, 
so  long  will  he,  perched  on  the  tallest  tree-top,  sit 
screaming,  "  Here  she  is  !  here  !  here  !  "  in  open  defiance 
of  your  wish  for  quiet  or  concealment.  Every  bird  in 
the  forest  knows  and  hides.  Observation  is  impossible, 
and  with  unspoken  maledictions  on  his  little  flat  blue 
head  you  sadly  trudge  on  to  another  wood.  Fortunate 
indeed  are  you  if  he  does  not  collect  a  band  of  his  fellows 
and  follow  you. 

There  is  another  side  of  this  story.  In  spite  of  our- 
selves we  are  forced  to  admire  his  dashing  courage  and 
gay  nonchalance,  his  devotion  to  his  kind,  and  his  care 
for  his  young.  There  is  something  uncanny  in  the 
wisdom  with  which  these  Jays  band  together  for  defence 
or  offence.  Although  so  quarrelsome  with  other  birds, 
they  never  molest  each  other,  nor  do  they  kill  an  injured 
one  of  their  kind,  as  robins  do. 

Their  nests  are  placed  in  low  bushes  or  thickets,  or  on 
the  horizontal  branch  of  an  oak,  seldom  more  than  ten 
feet  from  the  ground,  and  usually  near  water.  This  last 


BLUE   OR   METALLIC  BLUE  493 

requisite  seems  to  be  necessary  for  their  existence  in 
other  ways  than  for  drinking.  Early  every  morning 
every  adult  Jay  takes  a  cold  bath,  the  colder  the  better ; 
but  the  water  must  be  clear.  A  tremendous  splashing 
is  followed  by  a  long,  careful  preening  of  the  feathers, 
which  frequently  occupies  fifteen  minutes  or  longer. 
Long,  close  watching  has  led  me  to  believe  that,  except 
where  there  are  young  in  the  nest  to  be  fed,  this  toilet  is 
made  before  any  hunting  is  done  for  breakfast. 

The  male  assists  in  the  nest-building,  but  not  in 
the  incubation.  The  latter  requires  fourteen  days.  The 
mother  during  the  brooding  time  plunges  down  to  the 
water  once  or  twice  a  day,  returning  to  her  eggs  with 
feathers  still  damp,  fusses  about  as  if  turning  them  before 
settling  down  upon  them,  and  in  a  moment  rises  up  and 
fusses  again.  This  may  be  only  for  her  own  greater 
comfort,  but  I  have  wondered  whether  the  moisture  was 
necessary  for  the  eggs.  As  soon  as  they  hatch  she  ceases 
to  bathe  in  this  way,  and,  devoting  her  time  to  obtaining 
food,  becomes  dishevelled  and  rusty-looking. 

One  of  the  first  lessons  the  young  Jays  learn  is  to  love 
the  water.  It  requires  some  coaxing  for  the  first  splash, 
but  they  seem  to  take  to  their  bath  as  do  little  ducks, 
and  to  find  it  just  as  necessary  as  food. 

492.    PINON   JAY.  —  Cyanocephalus  cyanocephalus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Crows,  Jays,  Magpies,  etc. 

Length:  10.00-11.75. 

Adults :  Entire  plumage  grayish  blue,  brighter  on  head  ;  throat  bright 
blue,  with  white  streaks ;  head  not  crested  ;  bill  cylindrical. 


494-  LAND  BIRDS 

Young :  Uniform  dull  grayish  blue,  lighter  beneath. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Plateau  regions  of  Western  North  America, 
from  the  Rocky  Mountains  west  to  the  Pacific  coast  ranges,  north  to 
British  Columbia,  south  to  Lower  California,  Texas,  and  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range :  In  the  pinon  belt  of  the  desert  ranges, 
southeast  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  and  locally  along  the  whole  length 
of  the  Sierra  Nevada  from  Mt.  Shasta  to  the  San  Bernardino 
mountains. 

Breeding  Season  :  March  15  to  May  15. 

Nest:  5  to  12  feet  from  the  ground;  deep,  bulky  and  compact;  com- 
posed of  pinon,  sagebrush,  shreds  of  bark  ;  lined  with  fibre,  rootlets, 
and  dry  grasses  thoroughly  woven  together. 

Eggs:  3  to  5;  bluish  white,  entirely  covered  with  fine  specks  of  brown. 
and  sometimes  with  larger  spots  and  blotches  at  the  larger  end.  Size 
1.19  X  0.87. 

THE  Pinon  Jay  is  also  called  Nutcracker,  Blue  Crow, 
and  Pinario  by  the  Mexicans,  in  reference  to  its  fondness 
for  the  nuts  of  the  variety  known  as  pinon.  It  is  a 
haunter  of  the  pinon-covered  foot-hills,  and  scarcely  ever 
roves  into  the  higher  coniferous  forests.  Eminently 
social  at  all  times,  it  is  found  in  flocks  of  hundreds 
feeding  upon  the  ground  after  the  fashion  of  blackbirds, 
and  like  them  constantly  in  motion,  —  those  in  the  rear 
flying  over  those  feeding  ahead  of  them  and  alighting  in 
front  of  the  flock.  In  this  way  they  progress  from  place 
to  place,  and  collectors  who  know  this  peculiarity  hide 
along  the  route  to  wait  for  a  good  shot.  Their  constant 
chatter  can  be  heard  a  long  distance,  and  betrays  their 
approach.  They  are  occasionally  seen  in  company  with 
Clarke  nutcrackers  in  the  pinon  groves  ;  but,  although 
they  are  great  rangers,  here  to-day  and  gone  to-morrow, 
they  do  not  follow  the  latter  in  their  vertical  migration 
to  the  high  altitudes,  nor  are  they  commonly  found 
north  of  latitude  40°. 


BLUE   OR   METALLIC  BLUE  495 

In  the  summer  grasshoppers,  insects  caught  on  the 
wing,  and  fruit  form  their  bill  of  fare.  They  seem  to 
lack  the  cannibalistic  tendencies  of  their  family,  and  do 
not,  so  far  as  I  have  observed  or  can  learn,  meddle  with 
the  broods  of  other  birds. 

The  call-notes  of  the  Pinon  Jay  are  as  varied  as  those 
of  the  Eastern  jay  and  very  like  them  in  character.  A 
harsh  "j-a-a-h,"  a  guttural  chuck,  and  some  soft,  low 
notes  uttered  at  the  nest  to  mate  or  young  are  the 
sounds  most  characteristic. 

Late  in  March  or  early  in  April  they  commence  to 
build  their  bulky  nests  in  full  view,  on  the  horizontal 
limbs  of  a  nut  pine  or  a  juniper  tree,  usually  within  ten 
feet  of  the  ground.  The  framework  consists  of  twigs  of 
juniper,  nut  pine,  or  sagebrush,  and  is  lined  with  fine 
rootlets,  bark  shredded  very  fine,  and  moss  or  grass. 
Both  sexes  share  in  the  incubation,  which  lasts  sixteen 
days.  In  devotion  to  mate  and  young  they  rival  the 
nutcrackers,  and  feed  the  nestlings  long  after  they  are 
able  to  provide  for  themselves.  Like  young  nutcrackers, 
they  are  born  naked,  but  are  greener  in  hue.  They  re- 
main about  the  same  length  of  time  (twenty-two  days) 
in  the  nest,  and  learn  to  extract  the  sweet  kernels  of  the 
pinon  mits  before  they  leave  it.  They  are  also  fed  quite 
as  fully  on  grasshoppers  from  which  legs  and  wings  have 
been  carefully  removed.  As  soon  as  able  to  fly  they  unite 
with  other  families  in  large  flocks,  and  forage  from  place 
to  place  with  the  roving  habits  of  their  species. 


496  LAND   BIRDS 


597  a.   WESTERN   BLUE   GROSBEAK.  —  Guiraca 

ccerulea  lazula. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  7.00-8.00. 

Adult  Male:  Plumage  plain  bright  blue,  with  two  brownish  wing- 
bands;  under  tail-coverts  with  white  borders. 

AdiM  Female:  Plumage  grayish  brown,  tinged  with  blue. 

Young:  Similar  to  adult  female. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  United  States,  north  to  Colorado, 
California,  etc.  ;  south  throughout  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range :  In  lower  and  possibly  upper  Sonoran  zone, 
recorded  from  Owens  valley,  through  the  San  Joaquin-Sacramento 
basin,  to  Marysville. 

Breeding  Season:  May  15  to  July  15. 

Nest :  A  deep,  cup-shaped  structure  ;  compactly  built  of  dried  grasses, 
plant  fibre,  etc. ;  placed  in  bushes  and  tall  weeds. 

Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  plain  pale  greenish  blue  or  bluish  white.  Size  0.87 
X  0.63. 

THE  Western  Blue  Grosbeak  is  a  more  difficult  bird 
to  observe  than  either  the  black-headed  or  the  rose- 
breasted  Grosbeak.  He  loves  the  thickets  and  brush  of 
the  valleys,  seldom  going  higher  than  the  foot-hills. 
The  male,  in  plain  winter  garb,  has  been  mistaken  for 
a  female  cowbird  by  amateurs,  but  one  glance  at  the  bill 
should  correct  such  a  mistake.  In  the  glory  of  his  sum- 
mer blue  he  is  instantly  recognized.  His  song  is  some- 
what misleading,  for  although  the  same  sweetly  whistled 
turns  so  characteristic  of  the  Grosbeak  song  abound  in 
it,  the  tone  quality  is  thinner  and  less  mellow  than  that 
of  the  black-headed.  Nor  does  he  sing  so  continuously 
as  the  latter ;  perhaps  because  the  days  are  shorter  in 
the  canons,  where  he  loves  to  stay,  and  he  must  put  in 
more  time  eating. 


BLUE   OR  METALLIC  BLUE  497 

But  if  not  so  fine  a  singer,  the  Blue  Grosbeak  is  a 
much  better  nest-builder  than  any  other  member  of  his 
family.  And  this  work  is  well  worth  patient  watching. 
After  much  consulting  together,  the  pair  agree  upon  a 
site,  and  the  foundation  of  heavy  grasses  and  weed  stalks 
are  scratched  into  place.  A  pair  that  I  watched,  after 
trying  one  crotch,  deliberately  selected  another,  and  re- 
moved the  material  to  the  new  site.  Nor  could  I  find 
out  what  influenced  the  choice,  unless  there  was  some- 
thing in  the  shape  that  was  not  quite  comfortable  to  the 
little  mother.  Both  male  and  female  carried  material, 
and  moulded  it  into  form  by  turning  about  in  it  and 
tucking  the  unruly  ends  in  with  their  bills.  At  the  end 
of  the  fifth  day  the  compact,  rather  deep  affair,  lined 
with  plant  fibre  and  fine  grasses,  was  ready  for  use ;  and 
on  the  seventh  day  it  contained  one  egg.  An  egg  was 
laid  each  day  until  there  were  four ;  then  incubation 
began. 

The  Blue-headed  Grosbeak  is  a  model  father.  Day 
after  day  found  him  on  the  nest.  By  some  mysterious 
signal  he  knew  when  Madam  was  ready  to  leave,  and 
never  failed  to  appear  just  as  she  flew  off,  though  my 
dull  ears  caught  no  signal  between  them.  Then,  paus- 
ing a  moment  on  the  edge  of  the  nest,  he  would  survey 
the  treasures  with  a  comical  air  of  wisdom.  Having  sat- 
isfied himself  that  all  was  as  it  should  be,  he  settled 
down,  rather  awkwardly,  but  with  less  fuss  than  the 
female  ever  could  succeed  in  doing. 

After  fourteen  days  of  waiting,  four  wriggling,  naked 
nestlings  filled  the  cradle  and  ate  as  surely  no  other 


498  LAND   BIRDS 

young  birds  ever  have  done.  There  was  scarcely  a  mo- 
ment when  one  or  the  other  of  the  parents  was  not 
bending  over  the  nest  offering  food  to  the  wide-open 
yellow  mouths  of  the  offspring.  For  several  days  this 
was  given  entirely  by  regurgitation.  The  adults  had  a 
habit  of  flying  down  the  canon  to  their  feeding  grounds, 
about  a  hundred  yards  away,  and  I  never  succeeded  in 
finding  out  what  they  brought  back.  Oftentimes  what 
looked  to  be  the  gauzy  wings  of  a  dragonfly  stuck  out 
on  one  side  of  the  bill ;  at  other  times  the  food  looked 
like  grasshoppers  or  crickets,  but  I  cannot  be  sure  what 
it  was.  When  ten  days  old,  the  young  were  feathered 
in  soft  tints  of  grayish  brown,  with  a  hint  of  blue  on 
head  and  shoulders.  But  the  constant  surveillance  had 
made  them  uneasy  ;  as  soon  as  possible  they  escaped 
from  it  by  disappearing  from  the  locality  the  same  day 
that  the  little  ones  flew  from  the  nest,  and  a  diligent 
search  failed  to  discover  their  whereabouts. 


599.   LAZULI    BUNTING.  —  Passerina  amvna. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  5.00-6.25. 

Adult  Male:  Head,  neck,  and  upper  parts  turquoise  blue;  the  back 
darker  and  duller  ;  wings  with  two  white  bars  ;  breast  and  sometimes 
sides  washed  with  brownish  ;  remainder  of  under  parts  white. 

Adult  Female:  Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  with  blue  on  rump;  back 
more  or  less  streaked ;  wing-bars  dull  whitish  ;  lower  parts  pale  dull 
buffy,  deeper  on  chest,  and  fading  to  white  on  belly  and  lower  tail- 
coverts. 

Young:  Similar  to  adult  female,  but  without  blue  tinge  on  rump;  chest 
and  sides  streaked. 

Geographical  Dis'ribution :  Western  United  States,  east  to  Great  Plains 
and  Kansas ;  south  in  winter  to  Western  Mexico. 


BLUE   OR   METALLIC  BLUE  499 

California  Breeding  Range :  Below  Boreal  zone,  nearly  throughout  the. 

State. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 
Nest:  Of  fine  strips  of  bark,  small  twigs,  grasses;    lined  with  hair; 

placed  in  trees  or  bushes  a  few  feet  from  the  ground. 
Eggs:  3  or  4  ;  plain  bluish  white  or  light  bluish  green.     Size  0.75  X 

0.58. 

ALTHOUGH  the  Lazuli  Bunting  is  found  on  the  higher 
Sierra  Nevada,  his  best  loved  haunts  are  the  lower  moun- 
tain thickets  and  the  chaparral-covered  foot-hills.  While 
the  showily  plumaged  male  flies  through  the  open,  from 
tree-top  to  tree-top,  his  little  brown  mate  keeps  well 
within  the  cover  of  the  bushes,  zigzagging  her  way 
through  the  chaparral  like  a  shy  sparrow.  From  the 
plains  to  the  Pacific  this  species  replaces  the  indigo 
bunting  of  the  East. 

The  song  of  the  Lazuli  is  loud,  sweet,  and  merry,  but 
is  chiefly  remarkable  for  the  fine  enthusiasm  of  the 
singer.  Long  after  the  other  birds,  worn  out  by  family 
cares,  have  ceased  their  music,  this  blithe  "  little  boy 
blue"  carols  his  jolly  roundelay  from  the  top  of  a  tall 
tree  as  gayly  as  though  there  were  no  such  thing  as 
work  in  the  world.  For  this  we  love  him.  Yet  snugly 
hidden  among  the  bushes  is  the  cup-shaped  nest,  where 
in  the  June  days  his  mate  brooded  over  the  pretty  nest- 
lings, and  where  he  was  kept  busy  hunting  bugs  for  the 
hungry  mouths;  and  there  may  have  been  a  second 
brood  to  be  looked  after,  as  there  often  is  in  the  Bunt- 
ing family.  At  any  rate,  he  has  had  his  full  share  of 
labor  in  nest-building,  incubating,  guarding,  and  feeding, 
and  has  come  out  of  it  without  losing  one  iota  of  en- 
thusiasm in  the  joy  of  living. 


500  LAND   BIRDS 

Baby  Buntings  are  very  like  their  newly  hatched 
sparrow  cousins.  The  thin  hair-like  down  on  their  heads 
and  shoulders  is  soon  replaced  by  soft  brownish  feathers  ; 
the  broad  flat  bills  take  form  and  comeliness;  their 
funny  little  elbows  become  hidden  in  the  wing  plumage, 
and  every  day  sees  them  stretching  up  to  fly.  They 
usually  leave  the  nest  when  fifteen  days  old  unless  the 
de*but  is  hastened  by  meddlesome  fingers.  Up  to  this 
time  they  have  been  fed  on  insects,  by  regurgitation 
at  first,  then  fresh  food  is  given  them,  the  frequency  of 
meals  depending  somewhat  on  the  location  and  the  time 
of  day.  Early  in  the  morning,  after  a  night  of  fasting, 
all  young  birds  are  fed  as  frequently  as  it  is  possible  for 
the  parents  to  bring  the  food  ;  and  young  reared  upon 
insect  diet  seem  to  require  more  frequent  meals  than 
those  whose  bill  of  fare  consists  of  seeds.  In  the  case 
of  one  brood  of  young  Buntings,  the  meals  were  brought 
every  eight  minutes  from  four  to  five  A.  M.,  until  their 
little  crops  swelled  out  like  marbles.  Through  the  semi- 
transparent  skin  I  could  see  enough  of  the  contents  to 
be  sure  of  their  menu  after  they  were  five  days  old. 

613.    BARN   SWALLOW.—  Hirundo  erythrogastra. 
FAMILY.  —  The  Swallows. 

Length:  5.75-7.75. 

Adults:  Tail  forked  for  about  half  its  length,  outside  feather  tapered  to 
point.  Upper  parts  glossy  metallic  blue ;  forehead  dark  brown  ;  wings 
and  tail  changeable  purple  and  green  ;  outer  two  tail-feathers,  marked 
with  large  whitish  spots ;  under  parts  rusty  brown,  darkest  on  throat. 

Young:  Fork  of  tail  shorter;  upper  parts  lighter  in  color;  under  parts 
dull  brownish  buffy. 


BLUE   OR   METALLIC  BLUE  501 

Geographical  Distribution :  Whole  of  North  America,  migrating  to  Cen- 

tnil  and  South  America. 
California  Breeding  Range  :  Chiefly  coastwise  in  more  northern  portions, 

but  local  elsewhere  throughout  the  State. 
Breeding  Season     May  and  June. 
Nest :  A  cup  or  bowl-shaped  structure  ;  made  of  pellets  of  mud  mixed 

with  straws,  etc. ;  lined  with  feathers  ;  attached  to  the  side  or  roof  of 

a  cave,  or  to  timbers  in  barns  or  other  buildings. 
Eggs:  3  to  4  ;  speckled  with  brown  and  lavender.     Size  0.68  X  0.50. 

ALTHOUGH  choosing  to  live  in  a  stable  loft,  the  Barn 
Swallow  is  an  aristocratic-looking  bird,  his  long  forked 
tail  giving  him  an  air  of  elegance  unrivalled  by  any  of  his 
comely  relatives.  Among  a  family  remarkable  for  their 
swift,  graceful  flight  he  has  no  superior.  Circling  low 
over  the  earth  in  search  of  the  insects  that  live  in  moist 
places,  or  fluttering  like  a  huge  butterfly  at  the  edge  of 
a  puddle  as  he  gathers  mud  for  his  little  nest,  his  is 
indeed  the  "  poetry  of  motion." 

Oil  the  inside  of  the  barn,  among  the  rafters  of  the 
roof,  is  his  cup-shaped  nest  made  of  alternate  layers  of 
mud-pellets  and  hay.  Once  during  the  long  afternoons 
of  late  spring  time  I  watched  these  little  masons  build. 
Male  and  female  brought  mud  in  their  beaks  and  plas- 
tered it  to  the  rough  boards.  Then  long  wisps  of  hay 
and  bits  of  hair  were  carried  and  tucked  into  place  with 
much  poking  and  patting  of  the  bill.  Feathers  of  all 
sorts  were  stuck  in  promiscuously,  until  the  whole  looked 
as  much  like  a  ruffled,  headless,  Shanghai  chicken  as 
like  a  nest.  Some  naturalists  assert  that  saliva  is  mixed 
with  the  mud  to  make  it  sticky,  and  it  seems  to  me  this 
must  be,  for  the  nest  is  much  firmer  than  that  of  the 
eave  swallow  and  can  be  taken  down  intact. 


502  LAND   BIRDS 

In  several  nests,  May  20,  when  the  watch  began,  the 
young  were  nearly  ready  to  fly,  and  their  little  heads 
were  stretched  over  the  edge  as  if  they  were  trying  to 
gather  up  courage  to  make  the  dive.  In  other  cases  the 
broods  were  much  later.  Incubation  required  twelve 
days,  and  in  this  the  male  shared  equally  with  the 
female,  seeming  fully  as  much  at  home  on  the  nest  as 
did  she.  It  was  delightful  to  see  them  sit  side  by  side 
on  the  edge,  turning- their  little  blue  heads  sidewise  as 
they  peeked  into  the  cradle  and  talked  it  all  over  to- 
gether in  low  sweet  twitters.  And  when  the  nestlings 
were  finally  hatched,  one  need  not  climb  to  discover  the 
fact,  for  the  busy  importance  of  the  happy  housekeepers 
told  all  who  had  eyes  to  see.  The  young  were  fed  by 
regurgitation  until  two  weeks  old,  and  then  the  diet 
was  varied  by  an  occasional  large  insect  that  looked  like 
a  bluebottle  fly. 


614.   WHITE-BELLIED  SWALLOW,   OR  TREE 
SWALLOW.  —  Tackycineta  bicolor. 

FAMILY.  —  The  Swallows. 

Length:  5.00-6.25. 

Adult  Male :  Upper  parts  iridescent  steel  blue  ;  lores  deep  black  ;  wings 

and  tail  blackish,  slightly  tinged  with  greenish ;  under  parts  pure 

white. 

Adult  Female :  Similar  to  male,  but  upper  parts  duller. 
Young:  Upper  parts  dull  brownish  slate. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Whole  of  North  America,  migrating  in  winter 

to  the  Gulf  States  and  West  Indies. 
California  Breeding  Range:  Chiefly  in  upper  Sonoran  zone,  west  of  the 

Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season :  May,  June,  and  July. 


BLUE   OR   METALLIC  BLUE  503 

Nest:  In  holes,  excavations,  natural  cavities,  etc.;  made  of  grasses  and 

straw  ;  thickly  lined  with  feathers. 
Eggs:  4  to  7  ;  pure  white.     Size  0.75  X  0.53. 

EARLY  in  July  the  Tree  Swallows  begin  to  gather  in 
flocks  ;  and,  from  that  time  until  they  start  on  their 
southern  migration,  innumerable  multitudes  of  them  are 
to  be  seen  flying  over  the  open  country.  They  sit  in 
crowds  on  telegraph  wires  or  any  available  perch,  gather- 
ing late  in  the  afternoon  and,  when  near  water,  circling 
over  it  in  an  endless  game  of  "  Follow  the  Leader." 
They  dip  daintily,  each  one  in  turn,  rise,  circle,  and  dip 
again,  just  brushing  the  surface  with  a  light  splashing, 
until  the  shadows  of  evening  fall  and  it  is  too  dark  to 
watch  them  longer.  In  almost  any  section  of  the  United 
States  they  are  the  swallows  best  known,  at  least  to 
city  folk,  and  are,  I  believe,  the  ones  whose  return 
migration  has  been  celebrated  in  the  old  song. 

They  still  adhere  to  the  old  habits  of  nesting  in  hollow 
trees,  only  a  small  portion  having  been  induced  to  try 
the  boxes  put  up  for  them  by  bird-lovers.  Undoubtedly 
they  will  in  time  accept  this  substitute  and  become  as 
changed  in  their  environment  as  are  the  eave  and  barn 
swallows ;  but  no  one  can  wonder  that  they  love  the 
forest  best  and  are  loath  to  leave  it.  At  Lake  Tahoe  we 
found  them  nesting  in  the  old  piles  of  the  deserted  pier, 
in  company  with  the  Brewer  blackbirds.  They  entered 
the  nesting  cavities,  which  were  usually  two  to  five  feet 
above  the  water,  by  a  knot-hole  or  crevice  in  the  wood. 
One  nest  whose  brood  I  watched  develop  was  so  filled 
with  feathers  that  they  waved  in  the  doorway,  calling 


504  LAND   BIRDS 

the  attention  of  all  passers-by.  Near  this  nest  a  pair 
of  pygmy  nuthatches  were  occupying  a  small  hollow 
near  the  top  of  a  pile,  entering  by  a  knot-hole  too  small 
for  a  mouse.  Both  they  and  the  swallows  were  re- 
markably fearless. 

The  incubation  of  the  swallow's  eggs  lasted  thirteen 
days,  both  sexes  sharing  alike  in  it.  We  knew  this 
because  one  would  fly  in  as  soon  as  the  other  left ;  but 
they  looked  so  exactly  alike  that  it  was  impossible  to 
distinguish  one  from  the  other.  The  newly  hatched 
nestlings  were  naked,  pink,  and  not  unlike  a  tangle  of 
earthworms.  In  ten  days  they  were  feathered.  At  this 
time  so  fearless  were  the  parents  that  they  did  not  leave 
the  nest  at  our  approach  and,  on  the  last  visit,  one  of 
the  parents  allowed  herself  to  be  lifted  from  her  brood 
rather  than  desert  them.  This  was  remarkable  in  con- 
trast to  bank  swallows,  which  are  excessively  timid; 
but  it  was  very  like  the  brave  little  eave  swallows  and 
the  martins. 

For  the  first  ten  days  of  their  existence  the  young 
Tree  Swallows  were  fed  by  regurgitation,  at  intervals 
varying  from  five  to  thirty  minutes  according  to  the 
time  of  day.  During  the  early  morning  hours  —  from 
four  to  six  —  the  meals  were  most  frequent.  At  this 
sunrise  time,  also,  the  adults  frolicked  over  the  water, 
catching  insects,  skimming  the  lightest  spray  of  the 
waves  with  a  splash  in  the  sparkling  ripples,  and  twitter- 
ing merry  greetings  as  they  passed  each  other. 


BLUE   OR   METALLIC  BLUE  505 


767.    WESTERN    BLUEBIRD.—  Sialia  mexicana 
occidenta/is. 

FAMILY  :  The  Thrushes,  Solitaires,  etc. 

Length:  6.50-7.12. 

Adult  Male :  Upper  parts  dark  blue  and  brown  ;  throat  purplish  blue  ; 
breast  bright  chestnut ;  under  parts  brown,  washed  with  purplish 
blue. 

Adult  Female :  Upper  parts  brownish  gray ;  blue  on  rump  and  tail. 

Young:  Gray,  mottled  and  streaked  with  white,  darkest  on  upper  parts. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Transition  zone  of  Pacific  coast  from  British 
Columbia  south  to  central  California,  east  to  Western  Montana. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Local  in  upper  Souoran  zone  and  through- 
out Transition  zone. 

Breeding  Season  :  April,  May,  and  June. 

Nest:  In  old  woodpecker  holes  or  in  cavities  of  pine  trees,  usually 
rather  high. 

Eggs:  6  ;  light  blue.     Size  0.81  X  0.67. 

IN  coloring,  the  Western  Bluebird  is  the  counterpart 
of  the  bluebird  of  the  East,  but  he  is  much  more  shy, 
seldom  coming  close  to  houses  or  nesting  near  the  homes 
of  men.  He  is  a  resident  throughout  the  foot-hills  and 
lower  mountains,  coming  down  to  the  valleys  in  winter. 
I  have  found  him  oftenest  along  country  roadsides  or  in 
the  edge  of  the  woods,  and  have  seldom  seen  him  within 
the  borders  of  a  town  even  in  the  winter.  This  Blue- 
bird, like  the  mountain  species,  has  the  flycatcher  habit 
of  darting  down  from  a  perch  for  insects,  and  often 
hunting  through  the  grass  for  them  and  flying  back  to 
the  perch  to  eat.  Crickets,  moths,  grasshoppers,  cater- 
pillars, ants,  and  weevils  form  the  large  part  of  his  diet, 
varied  with  fruits. 

His  song  is  clear  and  mellow,  —  three  notes  repeated 


506  LAND   BIRDS 

over  and  over  while  perching,  never  on  the  wing.  Ex- 
cept in  the  location  of  the  nest,  this  bird  is  like  the 
mountain  bluebird  in  breeding  habits,  which  have  been 
fully  described  under  that  head. 


768.   MOUNTAIN    BLUEBIRD.  —  Sialia  currucoides. 
FAMILY  :  The  Thrushes,  Solitaires,  etc. 

Length:  6.50-7.90. 

Adult  Male :  Upper  parts  brilliant  light-blue  ;  under  parts  pale  tur- 
quoise blue.  Winter  plumage  slightly  duller. 

Adult  Female:  Upper  parts  gray,  wings  and  tail  bright  turquoise  blue  ; 
under  parts  soft  light-brown,  washed  with  blue. 

Young:  Grayish,  indistinctly  streaked  or  mottled  with  white ;  wings 
and  tail  blue. 

Geographical  Distribution :  From  Great  Slave  Lake  south  to  Xew 
Mexico,  and  from  the  Plains  to  the  Pacific. 

California  Breeding  Range:  On  the  higher  Sierra  Nevada,  from  Mt. 
Shasta  to  the  San  Bernardino  mountains. 

Breeding  Season :  May,  June,  and  July.  • 

Nest :  In  old  woodpecker  holes  or  in  natural  cavities  of  dead  trees. 

Eggs:  5  to  7  ;  pale  turquoise  blue.     Size  0.85  X  0.63. 

THE  exquisite  coloring  of  the  Mountain  Bluebird  ren- 
ders him  easily  the  most  beautiful  of  all  California!! 
birds.  No  words  can  describe  his  brilliancy  in  the  breed- 
ing season,  as  he  flies  through  the  sunny  clearings  of  the 
higher  Sierra  Nevada,  or  sits  like  a  bright  blue  flower 
against  the  dark  green  of  the  pines.  In  the  winter  the 
brilliant  blue  of  his  plumage  is  dulled  by  brownish,  but 
even  then  he  is  glorious.  All  through  the  State  east 
of  the  humid  coast  belt  these  birds  wander  during  the 
winter  in  small  flocks,  looking  like  big  blue  butterflies, 
as  they  hover  fifty  feet  above  the  earth.  At  this  time 
they  have  all  the  habits  of  flycatchers ;  I  have  seen  them 


BLUE   OR   METALLIC  BLUE  507 

at  San  Diego  flying  out  after  insects,  or  skimming  the 
air  like  swallows,  and  hovering  like  hummingbirds. 
They  have  a  pretty  fashion  of  quivering  their  wings  a 
moment  as  if  loath  to  close  them. 

Their  song  is  a  sweet  clear  "  trually,  tru-al-ly,"  like 
that  of  the  Eastern  species,  and  a  mellow  warble.  High 
up  in  the  mountain  meadows,  where  these  bits  of  azure 
nest,  they  are  usually  seen  only  in  pairs,  and  are  fre- 
quently the  only  pair  in  the  neighborhood,  and  here  their 
feeding  habits  are  those  of  the  thrushes  once  more. 

Both  male  and  female  carry  material  to  the  old  tree 
which  they  have  selected  for  a  home.  Usually  the 
cavity  chosen  is  one  excavated  the  previous  year  by  a 
woodpecker,  but  sometimes  a  natural  hole  in  a  dead  tree 
or  a  crevice  about  a  house  is  selected.  In  any  case  it  is 
nearly  filled  with  dried  grass  and  feathers.  Fourteen 
days  are  required  for  incubation,  and  in  this  the  male 
often,  but  not  always,  shares.  When  not  on  the  nest 
himself  he  brings  food  to  his  mate,  calling  to  her  in 
sweetest  tones  from  the  outside  before  entering  the  door- 
way. The  newly  hatched  young  are  of  the  usual  naked 
pinkish  gray  type,  looking  as  like  tiny  new-born  mice  as 
birds.  On  the  second  day  down  begins  to  appear  in 
thin  hairs  on  head  and  back ;  on  the  fourth  or  fifth  day 
the  eyes  show  signs  of  opening ;  on  the  sixth  day  they 
open,  and  the  down  is  well  spread  over  the  bodies. 

Up  to  this  time  they  have  been  fed  by  regurgitation, 
the  adult  swallowing  each  bit  first  to  moisten  or  crush 
it ;  but  from  the  fourth  day  on  fresh  food  is  given  occa- 
sionally, and  from  the  sixth  or  seventh  day  all  the  food 


508  LAND   BIRDS 

given  is  in  the  fresh  state,  not  regurgitated.  Crickets, 
grasshoppers,  beetles,  butterflies,  and  worms  are  their 
menu,  with  a  few  berries.  The  young  Bluebirds  double 
in  weight  every  twenty-four  hours  for  the  first  week,  and 
in  twelve  days  are  growing  a  respectable  crop  of  feathers, 
though  the  bare  skin  is  still  distressingly  visible.  Their 
breasts  gradually  take  on  the  soft,  mottled  light  and 
dark,  and  the  upper  parts  have  a  hint  of  blue  among  the 
grayish  brown  on  the  wings  and  tail.  One  would  sup- 
pose this  blue  on  the  upper  parts  would  be  too  conspic- 
uous, but  when  the  youngsters  leave  the  nest  and  perch 
on  the  soft  gray  of  the  dead  trees,  they  become  almost 
invisible  in  the  strong  sunlight. 


YELLOW  OR    ORANGE    CONSPICUOUS   IN   PLUMAGE 

497.     YELLOW-HEADED   BLACKBIRD. 

Xanthocephalus  xanthocephalus. 

FAMILY  :  The  Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc. 

Length  :  Male  8.60-10.10  ;  Female  7.50-8.30. 

Adult   Male   in   Summer:   Plumage  uniform  black,   except  yellow   or 

orange  head,  neck,  and  chest,  and  white  patch  on  wings. 
Adult  Male  in   Winter:  Similar,  but  yellow  feathers  on  top  of  head 

tipped  with  brown. 
Adult  Female:   Dark  grayish   brown,    throat  and  chest   dull  yellow  ; 

breast  mixed  with  white. 
Young  Male  in  First  Winter :  Similar  to  female,  but  larger,  and  deeper 

colored. 

Young:   (Nestling)  General  color  pinkish   brown  ;    upper  parts  indis- 
tinctly streaked  with  lighter  beneath  ;  wings  and  tail  blackish. 
Geographical  Distribution  :  Western  North  America  from  British  Colinn- 

1-ia  south  to  Mexican  table-lands  ;  east  to  Wisconsin,  Indiana,  and 

Texas. 
California  Breeding  Range:  Interior  valleys,  east  of  the  humid  coast 

belt. 


YELLOW  OR  ORANGE   CONSPICUOUS      509 

Breeding  Season:  May  15  to  July  1. 

Nest:  Like  an  inverted  cone  in  shape  ;  fastened  to  the  upright  tules, 
from  1  to  2  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  water  ;  the  outside  is  com- 
posed of  coarse  marsh -grass  and  fine  tules  woven  together  ;  lined  with 
fine  grass  and  pond  weeds  and  occasionally  plant  down. 

Eygs :  3  to  5  ;  greenish  white,  evenly  blotched  and  speckled  with  browns 
and  gray.  Size  0.71  X  0.53. 

IN  suitable  localities  throughout  California,  as  else- 
where in  the  United  States,  the  Yellow-headed  Black- 
bird breeds  abundantly.  The  interior  valleys  east  of  the 
Coast  Range  are  his  favorite  haunts ;  there,  except  dur- 
ing the  nesting  season,  he  may  be  found  picking  up  insect 
food  in  the  newly  harrowed  ground.  Grasshoppers,  big 
black  wingless  crickets,  all  sorts  of  marsh  insects,  and 
the  larva)  and  eggs  of  beetles  form  his  bill  of  fare ;  and 
much  does  the  farmer  owe  to  his  good  services.  When 
the  winter  rains  have  ceased  and  the  warm  spring  sun- 
shine floods  the  valleys,  the  large  flocks  of  these  hand- 
some birds  leaving  the  farms  and  fruit  ranches  betake 
themselves  to  the  tule  marshes,  where  their  noisy  wooing 
can  be  heard  far  and  wide.  While  the  male  rocks  and 
sings  on  the  tall  reeds,  the  soberly  gowned  female  is 
busy  building  a  nest  among  the  swaying  rushes.  First 
she  brings  heavy,  wet  pond-weed  and  marsh-grass,  and 
with  it  winds  several  of  these  together,  weaving  it  in 
and  out  and  making  a  firm  support  for  the  superstruc- 
ture. Bits  of  dried  rushes  and  last  year's  tule  are 
twisted  in  to  form  the  walls,  which  are  then  warmly 
lined  with  the  finer  marsh-grass  and  pond-weed.  No 
feathers  or  other  animal  matter  are  used  in  it,  but  occa- 
sionally a  little  plant  down,  as  if  the  blossom  had  ripened 
after  having  been  caught  accidentally  in  the  weaving. 


510 


LAND   BIRDS 


No  help  has  the  mother  bird  had  from  her  mate  in  this 
labor,  except  the  encouragement  of  his  cheery  song  as  he 
swung  always  in  sight  of  her,  ready  to  join  her  the  mo- 
ment she  left  her  work.  In  a  few  rare  instances  I  have 
known  him  to  make  a  pretence  of 
nest-building  a  few  feet  away  from 
the  real  cradle,  either  to  amuse  him- 
self or  deceive  me,  for  the  loosely 
woven  affair  was  never  regarded 
seriously  by  the  female.  She  some- 
times perched  near  it,  regarding  with 
amusement  the  masculine  attempt 
at  housekeeping,  and  with  a  scornful 
flirt  of  her  tail  went  back  to  her 
own  cosey  nest.  It  was  often  a 
week  or  two  after  the  latter  was 
entirely  finished  before  the  first  egg 
was  laid.  For  fourteen  days  the  female 
brooded,  hidden  by  the  green  tules,  hear- 
ing only  the  gay  banjo-like  song  of  her 
mate,  the  hoarse  croaking  of  the  frogs,  the 
"  chaacks "  of  her  yellow-head  neighbors, 
and  the  grunts  of  the  rails.  Never, 
by  any  chance,  does  the  gay  lord  of 
that  small  household  assist  her  un- 
til the  wonderful  transformation  has 
come,  and  hungry  nestlings  are  stretching  their  open 
mouths  beseechingly  from  the  green  cradle.  Then  his 
paternal  instinct  awakes,  and  he  hustles  for  food  to  fill 
them, 


497.  YELLOW-HEADED 
BLACKBIRD. 


"Beseech 
cradle." 


igly  from  the 


YELLOW   OR    ORANGE   CONSPICUOUS      511 

From  the  very  first  they  are  fascinating,  pinkish  salmon 
babies,  without  feathers  or  down,  except  a  very  little 
patch  on  the  head  and  shoulders,  and  a  thin  dark  strip 
on  either  side  of  the  back.  Developing  very  rapidly  on 
the  diet  of  water-snails,  slugs,  and  slimy  water  larvae  of 
all  sorts,  on  which  they  are  fed  by  regurgitation  at  first, 
they,  soon  become  handsome  enough  in  their  soft  brown 
coats  to  delight  any  father's  eyes.  Their  bills  change 
from  buff  to  black,  and  the  inside  of  the  throat  becomes 
an  exquisite  rose-pink.  Nor  are  their  heads  bare,  as  is 
the  case  with  young  red-wings.  In  two  weeks  or  sixteen 
days  after  hatching  they  are  ready  to  leave  the  nest,  and 
now  it  is  the  father  who  coaxes  them  step  by  step  back 
through  the  rushes  to  the  safer  meadow  and  teaches 
them  how  to  find  their  own  food.  As  soon  as  they  learn 
this  they  become  very  independent  and,  leaving  their 
parents,  join  flocks  of  other  young  Yellow-heads,  who, 
with  a  few  adults;  keep  together  the  rest  of  the  sum- 
mer and  through  the  fall  and  winter.  They  scatter  over 
the  valleys,  wherever  the  food  supply  tempts,  chatter- 
ing, frolicking,  and  gradually  donning  adult  plumage 
until,  when  spring  calls  again,  they  are  off  en  masse  to 
marshland. 


501  b.  WESTERN   MEADOWLARK.—  Sturndla 


FAMILY  :  The  Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  8.31-10.14  ;  Female  7-74-9.00. 

Adult  Male  :  Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  streaked  and  barred  with  bufiy, 
white,  and  black  ;  crowu  with  median  buffy  white  stripe  ;  lores  yel- 


512  LAND   BIRDS 

low  ;  superciliary  buff ;   middle  of  tail  heavily  marked  with  black  ; 

tertials,  rump,  and   tail   heavily  barred;   outer  tail-feathers   white; 

under  parts  bright  yellow,  with  black  crescent  on  breast  and  black 

spots  on  sides;  flanks  and  lower  tail-coverts  white. 
Adult  Female  :  Similar,  but  lighter  colored. 
Young :  Colors  much  duller,  with  less  distinct  markings  ;   crescent  on 

chest  faintly  marked. 
Geographical  Distribution:    Western    United   States,   from  Wisconsin, 

Illinois,  and  Texas  to  the  Pacific  ;  north  to  British  Columbia  ;  south 

to  Lower  California  and  Mexico. 

California  Breeding  Range :  Suitable  localities  throughout  the  State. 
Breeding  Season :  April. 
Nest :  On  the  ground,  usually  at  the  foot  of  a  bunch  of  grass  ;  made  of 

grass,  loosely  covered  over. 
Eggs :  3  to  7  ;   white,  spotted  irregularly  over  the  entire  surface   with 

brown  and  purple.     Size  1.10  X  0.90. 

THE  Western  Meadowlark  differs  from  the  Eastern 
species  chiefly  in  the  quality  of  its  song,  in  which  it 
greatly  excels  the  latter.  The  wild  sweet  notes  have 
a  carrying  quality,  and  at  the  same  time  a  liquid  mellow- 
ness that  is  peculiarly  in  harmony  with  the  wind-swept 
prairies  of  the  West.  It  is  also  longer,  more  varied,  and 
more  sustained  than  the  song  of  the  Eastern  species. 
Major  Bendire  compares  it  to  the  "  matchless,  clear, 
tinkling  utterances  of  the  finest  of  our  Western  song- 
sters, Townsend's  solitaire."  Its  alarm  notes  differ  some- 
what also,  being  less  harsh,  more  a  remonstrance  than  a 
scold. 

Of  a  somewhat  paler  plumage  than  the  lark  of  the 
East,  it  is  closely  allied  in  habits,  living  in  the  open 
meadows  and  clearings  along  streams.  Down  among 
the  tangled  grass  of  the  lowland  prairie  it  builds  its 
nest,  —  a  snug  little  hollow  in  the  soil,  lined  with  dried 
grass  and  often  roofed  with  the  same.  Both  male  and 
female  assist  in  moulding  the  nest  and  in  the  cares  of 


YELLOW   OR  ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS      513 

incubation.  This  lasts  thirteen  days,  and  the  young  re- 
main in  the  nursery  twelve  days  longer,  leaving  it  before 
they  are  able  either  to  fly  or  to  perch.  Yet  so  protec- 
tive is  their  coloring  and  so  jealously  does  the  long  grass 
guard  its  secret  that,  search  as  you  may  within  a  circle 
where  you  know  they  are  hidden,  you  will  not  find  one 
of  them.  For  two  weeks  longer  they  remain  with  their 
parents,  learning  to  hunt  grasshoppers,  beetles,  and 
crickets,  to  hide  in  the  shadow  of  a  green  tuft,  to  bathe 
in  the  shallows  at  the  brook's  edge,  and  last  of  all,  to 
perch  in  low  bushes  at  night  with  others  of  their  kind. 
As  soon  as  they  have  mastered  these  things,  they  are 
able  to  provide  for  themselves  and  are  abandoned  by 
the  parents.  I  have  a  theory  that  the  young  of 
each  year  go  some  distance  south  in  companies  guided 
by  one  or  two  adults,  returning  either  the  next  spring 
or  the  second  season.  Some  species  of  birds  do  not 
mature  fully  until  two  years  old,  and  this  seems  to  be 
true  of  Meadowlarks. 

Meanwhile  the  parents  have  begun  preparations  for 
rearing  another  brood  in  the  same  meadow,  but  not  the 
same  nest.  The  sun  being  hotter,  this  second  cradle  is 
more  carefully  sheltered  from  its  rays  by  the  pulling  over 
of  the  surrounding  grass,  and  sometimes  a  runway  is 
made  to  it,  extending  four  or  five  feet  away.  By  this 
the  old  birds  enter  and  leave  the  nest  proper. 

Dr.  Coues,  in  "Birds  of  the  Northwest,"  writes  of 
some  peculiar  habits  of  the  Western  Meadowlark  as 
follows : 

38 


514  LAND   BIRDS 

"  In  April  before  pairing,  hundreds  used  to  frequent 
daily  the  parade  ground  of  Fort  Randall,  where,  as  the 
grass  was  yet  scarcely  sprouted,  good  opportunity  was 
offered  of  observing  their  characteristic  habit  -*•  one  not 
so  generally  known  as  it  should  be,  since  it  is  related  to 
the  peculiar  shape  of  the  bill.  The  birds  may  be  seen 
scattered  all  over  the  ground,  busily  tugging  at  some~ 
thing;  and  on  walking  over  the  scene  of  their  opera- 
tions, the  ground,  newly  softened  by  the  spring  thaw,  is 
seen  to  be  riddled  with  thousands  of  little  holes,  which 
the  birds  make  in  search  of  food.  The  holes  are  quite 
smooth,  —  not  a  turning  over  of  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  but  clean  borings  like  those  made  by  sinking  in 
the  end  of  a  light  walking  stick,  just  as  if  the  birds  had 
inserted  their  bills,  and  then  worked  them  about  till  the 
holes  were  of  sufficient  size.  Whether  they  bored  at 
random  or  were  guided  by  some  sense  in  finding  their 
prey,  and  what  particular  object  they  were  searching  for, 
I  did  not  ascertain ;  but  the  habit  was  so  fixed  and  so 
continually  persevered  in  as  to  attract  general  attention." 

To  this  Major  Bendire  adds  his  opinion,  based  on 
close  observation,  that  they  were  feeding  upon  the  eggs 
of  the  locust,  which  are  deposited  just  below  the  surface 
of  the  ground. 

504.    SCOTT    ORIOLE.  —  Icterus  parisorum. 
FAMILY  :  The  Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc. 

Length:  7.70-8.50. 

Adult  Male  :  Uniform  black,  except  white  and  yellow  markings  on  wings 
and  tail,  and  bright  yellow  belly,  shoulders,  and  posterior  parts  of 
back  ;  the  rump  and  upper  tail-coverts,  usually  tinged  with  olive. 


YELLOW   OR   ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS     515 

Adult  Female :  Upper  parts  olive-green,  yellow  on  rump  and  outer  tail- 
feathers  ;  two  white  wing-bars  ;  under  parts  greenish  yellow. 

Young :  Similar  to  adult  female,  but  under  parts  less  yellow,  and  breast 
brownish  ;  wing-bar  yellow,  and  all  wing-feathers  tipped  with  white  ; 
tail  tipped  with  yellow. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  Texas  to  California,  and  from  south- 
ern parts  of  Utah  and  Nevada  south  to  Lower  California. 

California  breeding  Range:  In  desert  regions  southeast  of  the  Sierra 
Nevada. 

Breeding  Season  :  May  to  June  15. 

Nest :  A  pouch-shaped  affair  ;  woven  of  string,  grass,  and  yucca  fibre  ; 
hung  under  yucca  leaves  or  in  other  low  trees. 

Eggs:  2  to  4  ;  light  blue,  marked  with  brown  and  gray.  Size  0.96  X 
0.68. 

WHERE  the  tree  yuccas  grow,  the  Scott  Oriole  makes 
his  home.  His  brilliant  lemon  and  black  plumage  and 
merry  song  are  a  welcome  bit  of  life  in  the  arid  desert 
regions  of  Southeastern  California.  There,  in  the  cool 
of  the  morning,  or  when  the  intense  heat  of  noonday 
beats  down  from  the  cloudless  sky  and  up  from  blister- 
ing sand,  and  all  the  other  birds  are  still,  he  pipes  his 
clear,  sweet  roundelay.  Even  when  worn  with  the  cares 
of  a  family  of  two  he  sings  —  less  often  perhaps  and  less 
rapturously  than  when  the  spring  called  him  to  woo  his 
mate,  but  still  with  a  bubbling  overflow  of  joy.  A  little 
way  up  the  valley  is  his  nest,  swung  under  the  sword- 
like  leaves  of  the  yucca  and  securely  fastened  with  its 
coarse,  thread-like  fibre.  Here,  concealed  by  the  dead 
leaves,  the  mother  bird  sits  all  day  long  for  two  weeks, 
and  keeps  the  eggs  warm,  often  singing  softly  to  herself 
the  same  sweet  lullaby.  Her  devoted  mate  feeds  her 
and  stands  guard  on  a  near-by  tree,  but  I  have  never 
seen  him  attempt  to  get  into  the  nest  to  take  her  place 
when  she  is  absent.  He  will  peer  into  it  with  ludicrous 


516 


LAND   BIRDS 


earnestness,  evidently  not  daring  to  attempt  the  danger- 
ous task  of  brooding,  lest  his  bungling  should  be  dis- 
astrous. As  soon  as  the  naked  pink 
nestlings  have  emerged  from  the 
shells  and  opened  their  wide  bills 
for  food,  his  cares  begin.  And  they 
know  no  end  until  four 
weeks  later,  when  all  have 
learned  to  care  for  them- 
selves. Oriole  nestlings  in 
general  are  proverbial  cry- 
babies, and  Scott  Orioles  are 
no  exception.  Insects  of 
all  sorts  in  all  stages  of 
development,  fruit,  and  ber- 
ries are  served  to  them  in 
such  quick  succession  as  to  leave 
small  time  for  the  parent  to  hunt 
any  for  himself.  At  first  the  feed- 
ing is  by  regurgitation,  but  on  the 
fourth  or  fifth  day  this  method  gives 
place  to  the  more  commonly  ob- 
served one.  After  this  brood  is  reared,  with  com- 
mendable patience,  he  is  ready  to  care  for  another,  for 
which  a  new  nest  in  a  new  tree  must  be  made. 


504.    SCOTT  ORIOLE. 

"  He  will  peer  into  it  with 
ludicrous  earnestness." 


YELLOW   OR   ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS      517 


505  a.   ARIZONA   HOODED   ORIOLE.  —  Icterus 

cucullatus  nelsoni. 

FAMILY  :  The  Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc. 

Length:  Male  6.90-7.80  ;  female  6.90-7.30. 

Adult  Male :  General  plumage  saffron-yellow  ;  black  patch  on  throat, 
extending  in  front  and  under  the  eyes  ;  a  band  across  the  fore  part  of 
back ;  tail  and  win'gs  black,  the  latter  with  two  white  bars  and  white 
edgings  ;  tail  tipped  with  white. 

Adult  Female:  Upper  parts  olive-green,  slightly  tinged  with  gray  on 
back  ;  wings  olive-brown,  with  two  white  bands  ;  under  parts  plain 
dull  yellow. 

Young:  Similar  to  female,  but  with  throat  patch  as  in  the  male. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  Mexico  and  Lower  California,  north 
to  New  Mexico,  Arizona,  and  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  in  Southern 
California  ;  north  to  Santa  Barbara. 

Breeding  Range:  Coast  district  of  Southern  California,  north  as  far  as 
Santa  Barbara. 

Breeding  Season  :  April  20  to  July  1. 

Nest :  Basket-shaped ;  of  green  wiry  grass  and  sometimes  dry  yucca 
fibres ;  occasionally  lined  with  willow  down,  wool,  or  horsehair ;  se- 
curely fastened  with  twigs  and  semi-pensile,  at  various  heights  from 
12  to  40  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs:  3  to  5;  speckled  with  brown,  and  having  zigzag  markings.  Size 
0.88  X  0.62. 

DODGING  about  among  the  dull  green,  the  Arizona 
Hooded  Oriole  makes  a  gay  bit  of  color,  like  a  brilliant 
blossom  in  the  acres  of  chaparral  that  abound  in  the  San 
Diegan  district.  His  orange  breast  rivals  the  poppies 
in  its  gorgeous  hue,  and  his  song  fills  the  air  with  music. 
In  all  his  ways  he  is  much  more  like  the  orchard  oriole 
of  the  East  than  like  any  of  the  Western  species.  His 
protest  is  the  same  harsh  "  scraack."  His  call-note  is 
the  same  clear  whistle,  and  his  song  has  the  same  joyous 
sweetness.  Like  the  orchard  oriole,  he  haunts  the  heavy 


518  LAND  BIRDS 

foliage,  flitting  through  the  open  only  en  route  to  a  fresh 
pasture.  Restless,  shy,  ever  on  the  move,  searching  for 
caterpillars  on  the  under  sides  of  the  leaves  chickadee 
fashion,  picking  in  the  crevices  for  larvae  like  a  nut- 
hatch, and  snapping  up  grasshoppers  with  a  little  jump 
as  do  young  meadovvlarks,  he  is  usually  to  be  found 
within  twelve  feet  of  the  ground. 

His  wooing  is  as  ardent  as  the  brilliant  plumage  would 
typify.  Rivals  not  a  few  he  fights,  and  to  the  victor 
belongs  the  spoil,  whether  she  will  or  no.  With  song  or 
with  harsh  scolding  note  he  wooes  or  threatens,  giving 
her  no  peace  until  his  suit  is  accepted.  Then  both 
gather  material  for  the  characteristic  nest,  which  the 
female  weaves.  It  is  hung  on  the  under  side  of  a  fan- 
palm  leaf  or  in  low  trees  or  bushes,  sometimes  in  a 
bunch  of  mistletoe,  sometimes  in  willow  or  gum  trees, 
and  in  one  instance,  at  Monrovia,  California,  it  was  hung 
to  a  banana  leaf.  In  material  used  it  differs  radically 
from  all  the  other  oriole  nests  in  California,  for  instead 
of  gray  or  brown  plant  fibre,  horsehair,  string,  shavings, 
and  other  grotesque  accessories,  it  is  built  of  green  grass 
and  the  moss  from  the  trees.  It  is  sometimes  stiffened 
with  yucca  fibre,  but  the  prevailing  color  is  invariably 
green,  as  in  the  nest  of  the  orchard  oriole  ;  hence  it  is 
exceedingly  difficult  to  discover  among  the  green  leaves. 
By  the  time  it  has  turned  yellow  the  brood  has  flown. 
Not  so  deep  nor  so  pensile  as  that  of  the  other  Cali- 
fornian  varieties,  it  swings  like  a  little  basket  from  the 
slender  support,  or  is  secured  by  upright  twigs  to  which 
its  walls  are  fastened.  In  Texas  the  bird  often  hollows 


YELLOW  OR  ORANGE   CONSPICUOUS      519 

out  a  snug  nursery  for  itself  in  a  ball  of  the  tree  moss. 
In  this  case,  or  when  fastened  to  the  under  side  of  a 
palm  leaf,  a  small  opening  is  left  as  an  entrance  for  the 
female. 

Incubation  lasts  thirteen  days,  and  in  this  the  male 
takes  no  part.  His  duty  is  to  sing  from  a  concealed 
perch  near  by  and  bring  tidbits  to  the  mother  bird  as 
she  broods.  If  you  listen  closely  and  patiently,  you  may 
hear  her  imitate  his  song  in  low  tones  of  sweet  soliloquy. 

The  young  Orioles  are  born  naked  except  for  flecks  of 
down  on  the  crown  and  along  the  back.  They  are  fed 
by  regurgitation  for  four  or  five  days.  The  eyes  open  on 
the  fourth  day,  and  pinfeathers  soon  begin  to  darken  the 
skin.  In  two  weeks'  time  the  nestlings  are  fully  fledged, 
looking  much  like  the  mother,  and  are  ready  for  their 
ddbut.  Nevertheless  they  are  very  helpless,  and  are  fed 
and  cared  for  by  both  parents  for  some  time  after  leaving 
the  nest.  The  food  of  this  species  consists  almost  en- 
tirely of  insects,  and  great  is  the  debt  of  the  farmers  to 
their  good  services. 


508.    BULLOCK   ORIOLE.  —  Icterus   bullocki. 
FAMILY. — The  Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc. 

Length:  7.50-8.60. 

Adult  Male:  Under  parts,  sides  of  neck,  whole  malar  region,  forehead, 

and  distinct   superciliary  stripe   yellow   or  orange  ;    narrow    throat 

patch,  crown,  back  of  neck,  back,  and  stripe  through  the  eye  black  ; 

wings  with  white  patch  and  edgings;    tail  mostly  yellow,  but  the 

middle  feathers  and  the  tips  of  others  black. 
Adult  Female :  Upper  parts  olive  grayish,  streaked  with  black  on  back, 

but  changing  to  live  yellow  on  rump  and  tail ;  top  of  head  and  hind- 


520  LAND   BIRDS 

neck  yellowish  olive,  becoming  brighter  yellow  on  forehead  and  super- 
ciliary region  ;  wings  with  white  bands  ;  under  parts  lemon-yellow, 
fading  to  gray  on  belly  ;  throat  usually  with  more  or  less  of  black. 

Young:  Similar  to  female,  but  colors  duller;  no  black  oil  throat,  and 
yellow  sometimes  almost  wanting. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  North  America,  north  to  British 
Columbia,  east  to  and  including  the  Rocky  Mountains  ;  south  in 
winter  to  Mexico. 

California  Breediny  Range:  Chiefly  in  the  upper  Sonoran  zone  through- 
out the  State. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest:  Fastened  at  sides  and  rim  to  branches  of  the  birch,  alder,  cotton- 
wood,  poplar,  and  often  to  bunches  of  mistletoe  growing  on  cotton- 
wood  trees ;  placed  from  6  to  40  feet  from  the  ground  ;  made  of 
vegetable  fibres,  horsehair,  and  inner  bark  woven  together ;  lined 
with  horsehair,  down,  and  wool. 

Eggs:  3  to  6  ;  grayish  or  bluish  white,  or  pale  bulFy,  marked  with  irreg- 
ular fine  hair  lines.  Size  0.89  X  0.64. 

THE  handsome  Bullock  Oriole  fills  the  same  niche  in 
the  country  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  that  the 
equally  handsome  Baltimore  oriole  occupies  in  the 
Eastern  States.  Like  the  other  two  species  found  in  Cali- 
fornia, it  is  only  a  summer  visitant,  arriving  in  March  and 
going  back  to  its  winter  haunts  in  late  September.  Like 
the  Baltimore  oriole,  it  loves  the  open  country  of  the 
interior  valleys,  and  the  margins  of  streams  fringed  with 
alder  ;  it  is  never  found  in  the  deep  forests  or  the  higher 
altitudes,  and  seldom  or  never  strays  across  the  Coast 
Range  into  the  humid  coast  region. 

Its  call-notes  and  song  resemble  those  of  the  Baltimore, 
but  have  less  sweetness  and  variety.  Where  the  latter 
whistles  half  a  dozen  variations  on  his  original  theme  of 
five  notes,  the  Bullock  is  content  to  repeat  the  same 
phrase  with  few  modifications.  Nor  have  I  ever  heard 
him  give  the  love  song  that  is  poured  out  by  the  Balti- 


YELLOW  OR   ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS      521 

more  with  such  tenderness  just  at  dawn  when  his  mate 
is  on  the  nest. 

In  nesting  habits  it  resembles  its  Eastern  relative, 
weaving  a  pensile  bag-like  affair  of  wild  flax  and  plant 
fibre  stiffened  with  horsehair  and  lined  with  plant  down 
and  fine  moss.  This  is  a  typical  nest,  but  string,  bits  of 
rag,  and  colored  wool  are  often  used  also.  The  whole 
is  fastened  securely  around  the  rim  to  the  finer  twigs  of 
alder,  eucalyptus,  oak,  juniper,  or  pepper.  About  San 
Jose",  California,  I  have  found  it  oftenest  in  pepper  trees. 
In  Texas  and  elsewhere  it  is  said  to  hang  its  cradle  in  the 
bunches  of  mistletoe  ;  it  may  do  this  among  the  foot- 
hills, also,  but  it  does  not  choose  this  site  by  preference. 
Most  of  the  nests  hang  within  fifteen  feet  of  the  ground, 
but  I  have  found  them  forty  feet  up  from  the  base  of  a 
tree  on  a  steep  slope.  Although  this  species  less  fre- 
quently use  the  nest  a  second  season  than  do  the  Balti- 
mores,  they  have  a  curious  habit  of  building  a  second 
close  beside  the  first  and  often  fastened  to  it.  There  is 
no  way  of  ascertaining  whether  or  not  it  is  the  same  pair 
who  come  back  to  their  favorite  location  and  build  this 
addition  to  their  old  home,  and  in  bird  lore  it  is  never  safe 
to  hazard  a  guess.  Never  having  seen  a  male  oriole  of 
any  species  attempt  to  brood  either  the  eggs  or  the 
young,  I  am  convinced  that  in  every  case  the  fourteen 
days  of  incubation  of  this  species  is  the  task  of  the  female 
alone.  Her  mate  is  always  within  calling  distance,  keep- 
ing a  vigilant  watch  for  squirrels,  crows,  and  jays ;  and 
should  any  one  of  these  enemies  appear,  not  only  he  but 
the  mother  bird,  joined  by  all  the  orioles  and  blackbirds 


522  LAND   BIRDS 

within  hearing,  will  fly  at  the  intruder  and  effectually 
banish  him  from  the  vicinity.  When  newly  hatched;  the 
young  orioles  are  naked,  pink  babies  with  little  tufts  of 
thin  white  down  on  head  and  back.  For  nearly  a  week 
after  they  are  feathered  the  down  waves  rakishly  on 
either  side  of  the  crown  and  about  the  shoulders,  gradu- 
ally wearing  off  as  they  brush  about  through  the  bushes. 

Like  all  oriole  babies,  these  demand  the  constant 
attention  of  both  parents,  crying  loudly  for  more  the 
moment  their  mouths  are  emptied  of  the  last  mouthful, 
not  in  the  least  trying  to  help  themselves,  but  following 
the  adults  about  for  a  week  or  two  after  leaving  the  nest. 
No  wonder  that,  worn  out  by  unremitting  care  of  this 
first  brood,  the  parents  have  neither  the  strength  nor  the 
time  to  undertake  a  second  in  the  same  season.  I 
believe  the  families  usually  keep  together  until  late  in 
August,  when  the  males  join  flocks  of  their  own  sex  for 
the  September  migration  southward. 

In  "  The  Condor  "  for  July,  1901,  the  following  state- 
ment with  regard  to  the  food  habits  of  this  Oriole  is 
worthy  of  special  note  :  "  The  chief  food  of  the  Orioles 
consists  of  insects  and  injurious  caterpillars.  .  .  .  They 
are  particularly  fond  of  a  small  green  caterpillar  that 
destroyed  the  foliage  of  the  prune  trees  a  few  years  ago. 
The  Orioles  are  often  seen  in  the  berry  patches,  but  they 
are  usually  in  search  of  insects,  as  is  proven  by  an  ex- 
amination of  a  great  number  of  stomachs."  These  facts 
regarding  the  food  habits  of  our  song  birds  are  of  great 
value  to  the  bird-lover,  but  even  more  so  to  the  farmer. 
Naturally  he  will  protect  any  species  which  is  proven 
beneficial  to  his  crops. 


YELLOW   OR   ORANGE   CONSPICUOUS      523 


514  a.  WESTERN   EVENING   GROSBEAK.  —  Hcsper- 
iphona  vespertina  montana. 

FAMILY:  The  Finches,  Sparrows,.  etc, 

Length:  Male  6.70-7.30  ;  female  6.50-7.30. 

Bill  :  Large  and  heavy. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  yellowish  olive,  shading  to  yellow  on  rump; 

forehead   and   superciliary   bright  yellow  ;    crown,   tail,    and   wings 

black,  the  latter  with   large  white  patches  ;    under  parts  greenish 

yellow,  shading  to  lemon-yellow  on  under  wing  and  tail-coverts. 
Adult  Female  :  General  plumage  yellowish  or  yellowish  brown  ;  throat 

bordered  on  each  side  by  a  dusky  streak  ;  whitish  patches  on  wings  ; 

under  parts  light  gray. 
Young:  Similar  to  female,  but  color  duller  and  more  brownish,  with 

markings  less  sharply  defined. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Western  North  America,   from   the  Pacific 

coast  eastward  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  ;    south  to  Mexico. 
California  Breeding  Range  :  Local  in  the  high  Sierra  Nevada  from  Mt. 

Shasta  to  the  Yosemite  valle'y. 
Breeding  Season:  May  1  to  June  15. 
Nest  :  A  comparatively  slight  structure  ;  composed  of  small  sticks,  roots, 

and  sometimes  lichens  ;  lined  with  finer  roots  ;  placed  in  coniferous 

or  willow  trees,  from  12  to  50  feet  from  the  ground. 
Eggs  :  3  or  4  ;  green,  blotched  with  light  brown. 

LINED  against  the  dark  green  of  the  pine  tree  in  the 
golden  glow  of  sunset,  as  lie  .settles  for  his  night's  rest, 
the  Evening  Grosbeak  is  a  bird  of  striking  beauty. 
Seen  flying  across  the  open  when  the  first  rays  of  the 
rising  sun  flash  on  the  yellow  of  his  breast,  brightening 
and  deepening  its  pale  lemon  to  a  color  like  gold,  while 
his  clear  whistle  calls  through  the  dewy  air,  he  is  a  joy 
forever.  Daintily  eating  the  maple  buds  or  the  young 
shoots  of  the  juniper  tree,  stopping  ever  and  anon  to  pipe 
his  wild,  free  song  that  has  in  it  the  breath  of  the  pine 


524  LAND   BIRDS 

woods  and  the  silver  cadence  of  the  mountain  brook,  he 
is  "  an  April  poem  that  God  has  dowered  with  wings." 

He  is  seldom  or  never  alone,  but  travels  with  a  merry 
band  of  his  fellows,  from  the  southern  valleys  where  he 
feeds  in  winter  to  the  northern  mountain  heights.  There 
among  the  pine  forests  where  the  yellow  lichen  clings 
to  the  rugged  trunks,  he  will  build  his  nest  and  rear 
his  brood.  And  now  you  discover  the  reason  for  his 
greenish  yellow  coloring ;  for,  as  he  flits  here  and 
there  among  the  lichen  tufts,  picking  up  bits  to  line  or 
decorate  his  nest,  you  are  struck  with  the  way  in  which 
he  becomes  invisible.  So,  in  cases  where  the  lichens 
are  used  in  the  nest-building,  it  is  difficult  to  tell  whether 
or  not  the  bird  is  brooding.  The  lichens  are  seldom 
used,  however,  unless  the  nest  is  placed  in  a  fir  or 
pine  tree.  When  built  in  a  willow,  rootlets  and  finely 
shredded  strips  of  bark  take  its  place.  Whether  this 
material  is  chosen  because  of  convenience  or  with  an 
eye  to  protective  coloring  no  one  may  say,  but  I  believe 
it  is  only  a  matter  of  whatever  is  most  easily  obtained. 
Both  sexes  assist  in  the  nest-building  and  in  gathering 
material,  which  is  moulded  into  shape  by  a  turning 
about  of  the  bird's  body  after  the  manner  of  the  black- 
headed  grosbeak.  The  only  nest  I  have  ever  seen  was 
entirely  inaccessible,  in  the  top  of  a  fir  tree  at  least 
thirty-five  feet  from  the  ground.  The  tree  stood  on  the 
side  of  a  canon,  and  it  was  possible  from  a  point  above 
it  and  a  hundred  feet  away,  by  means  of  field  glasses,  to 
watch  the  birds  at  work.  But  at  this  distance  one 
could  only  observe  in  a  very  unsatisfactory  degree  and 


YELLOW  OR  ORANGE   CONSPICUOUS      525 

could  gain  few  facts  that  are  sufficiently  definite  to  be 
recorded.  I  know  that  the  female  was  on  the  nest  and 
the  male  always  somewhere  in  the  vicinity  every  time 
I  looked  during  a  watch  of  fifteen  days.  After  that, 
both  flew  back  and  forth  with  food,  but  I  was  entirely 
unable  to  tell  what  the  menu  might  be,  except  in  one 
case,  where  the  male  alighted  a  moment  near  me  with 
a  caterpillar  (not  the  hairy  kind)  in  his  beak,  and  thei* 
flew  straight  to  the  nest. 

On  the  fifteenth  day  after  I  first  observed  the  parents 
carrying  food,  the  nest-tree  was  deserted  and  not  a 
glimpse  could  I  catch  of  young  or  old.  This  was  at  a 
height  of  seven  thousand  feet  in  the  Sierra  Nevada,  and 
I  fancied  they  had  gone  to  the  lower  altitudes  to  feed 
upon  the  buds  of  the  deciduous  trees  and  in  the  fruit 
ranches  of  the  foot-hills.  With  the  solitude  of  the 
forests  the  Grosbeak  leaves  his  quaint,  sweet  song. 
Henceforth,  until  spring  calls  him  back  to  the  breeding 
grounds,  he  will  utter  only  the  single  whistled  note,  and 
no  one  who  hears  shall  guess  that  he  can  sing. 

529 b.    WILLOW   GOLDFINCH.  —  Astmgplinus  tristis 

salicamans. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  4.08-4.82. 

Adult  Male :  General  body  plumage  yellow,  in  sharp  contrast  to  black 
forehead,  crown,  lores,  wings,  and  tail  ;  wings  with  faint  white  edg- 
ings ;  tail-feathers  with  white  patches. 

Adult  Female :  Upper  parts  dark  olive-brown,  sometimes  tinged  with 
olive  greenish ;  wings  and  tail  dull  blackish  browu,  with  markings 
similar  to  male  ;  throat  dull  greenish  yellow,  remainder  of  under  parts 
dull  grayish,  more  or  less  tinged  with  yellow. 


526  LAND   BIRDS 

Young:  Plumage  darker  in  tone  than  that  of  the  adult. 

Geographical   Distribution :   Pacific   coast   from   Washington  to   Lower 

California. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Chiefly  in  the  upper  Sonoran  zone,  from 

Shasta  valley  to  San  Diego. 
Breeding  Season :  May  to  July. 
Nest :  A  compactly  woven  cup-shaped  structure  ;  composed  of  plant 

fibre  ;  lined  with   down   and   other  soft   materials  ;   placed   in   tall 

bushes  or  low  trees. 
Eggs:  3  to  5  ;  bluish  white.     Size  0.65  X  0.52. 

THE  Willow  Goldfinch  of  California  is  in  form,  color, 
and  habits  so  exactly  like  the  goldfinch  or  "  thistle-bird  " 
of  the  East  that  one  wonders  why  Western  ornitholo- 
gists have  made  a  subspecies  of  him.  His  shorter  wings 
and  tail  and  his  smaller  black  cap  are  the  only  points  of 
difference.  Although  he  is  resident  wherever  found,  he 
changes  his  bright  yellow  and  black  plumage  in  the  fall 
to  a  more  sober  garb  of  dark  olive  and  black,  and  in  his 
new  suit  is  not  always  recognized  as  an  old  friend.  In 
the  spring,  likewise,  when  the  olive  has  given  place  to 
the  gold,  you  hear  it  said,  "  The  wild  canaries  have  come 
back  again,"  when  they  have  really  been  there  all  the 
time.  His  happy  call  has  been  interpreted  as  "per- 
chic-o-ree,  per-chic-o-ree,"  and  fits  well  with  the  gay 
undulating  flight  of  the  little  songster.  In  addition  to 
this  he  has  a  merry  twitter  that  might  be  called  a  song. 
When  the  thistles  bloom,  he  commences  his  housekeep- 
ing, building  an  exquisite  cup-shaped  nest  in  the  fork 
of  a  willow,  so  low  that  one  may  with  small  exertion 
peep  into  it.  It  is  beautifully  lined  with  a  compact 
felting  of  thistle-down  and  moulded  smoothly  on  the 
edges  with  wonderful  skill.  The  two  pale  blue  eggs 
are  brooded  by  the  mother  for  ten  days,  and  then  the 


YELLOW   OR   ORANGE   CONSPICUOUS      527 

naked  pinky  nestlings  require  all  the  care  of  both 
parents.  They  are  beauties,  to  the  eyes  of  one  who 
loves  bird  babies,  being  perfect  in  form  although  so 
tiny.  Their  eyes  open  in  a  few  days,  and  feathers  begin 
to  show  along  each  side  of  the  back  and  on  the  edges 
of  the  elbows.  In  ten  days  they  have  begun  to  look 
charmingly  like  their  devoted  mother,  with  coats  of  soft 
olive  and  brown.  It  is  exactly  the  right  color  for  nest- 
lings, and  when  they  have  left  the  cradle  and  sit  motion- 
less for  hours  among  the  green  leaves,  they  are  invisible 
to  all  eyes  but  those  of  the  parents. 

Like  the  young  of  all  seed-eating  birds,  they  learn  to 
forage  for  themselves  much  sooner  than  do  those  whose 
food  requires  skill  to  catch.  Almost  as  soon  as  they 
can  balance  themselves  the  Goldfinch  babies  cling  to  the 
top  of  a  thistle  or  a  bunch  of  goldenrod,  helping  them- 
selves to  the  seed  as  independently  as  any  of  the  adults. 
But  when  father  or  mother  alights  near,  the  little  wings 
begin  to  quiver  and  the  bill  opens  expectantly,  even 
though  the  little  crop  be  too  full  to  hold  more. 

Goldfinch  nestlings,  like  very  many  others  hitherto  un- 
suspected, are  fed  by  regurgitation.  The  adult  comes  to 
the  nest  with  his  crop  conspicuously  loaded,  and  soon 
transfers  the  contents  to  the  empty  crops  of  the  young, 
which  at  once  show  the  change.  The  food  brought  is 
thistle  seed  from  which  the  down  has  been  carefully 
plucked,  leaving  only  the  small  brown  part.  When  full 
of  this  the  naked  crops  are  distressingly  suggestive  of  a 
flaxseed  poultice. 


528  LAND   BIRDS 

530.  CALIFORNIA    GOLDFINCH.  —  Astragalinus 

psaltria  hesperophilus. 
FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  4.00-4.50. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  olive-green  ;  crown,  wings,  and  tail  black, 

with  inner  webs  of  tail-feathers  white;  under  parts  entirely  deep 

lemon-yellow. 
Adult  Female:   Upper  parts  grayish   oli ve- green  ;   under  parts   light 

greenish  yellow  ;  wings  and  tail  dull  black. 
Young:  Similar  to  female,   but  tinged  with  buffy,  and  wing-coverts 

tipped  with  buff. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Southwestern  United  States,  north  to  Oregon, 

east  as  far  as  Utah,  south  to  Lower  California,  and  Southwestern  New 

Mexico  and  Northern  Sonora,  Mexico.  In  winter  to  Cape  St.  Lucas. 
California  Breeding  Mange :  Chiefly  below  Transition  zone  nearly 

through  the  State. 
Breeding  Season :  May  to  August. 
Nest:  A   small,  compact  felted  mass  of  vegetable  fibre,   moss,  grasses, 

leaves,  and  fine  bark  ;  lined  with  plant  down  and  sometimes  with 

thistle-down  ;  placed  in  trees  and  bushes,  from  3  to  40  feet  from  the 

ground. 
Eggs:  5  to  6  ;  pale  bluish  or  greenish  white.     Size  0.63  X  0.45. 

THE  Arkansas  Goldfinch  differs  from  the  "  willow  " 
chiefly  in  its  habitat,  being  a  bird  of  the  orchard  and 
garden  as  well  as  of  the  wooded  highway.  It  is  found 
in  the  mountains  along  the  edges  of  clearings  to  a  height 
of  six  thousand  feet.  In  breeding  habits  it  resembles 
the  willow,  commencing  its  nest  when  the  thistle-down 
is  at  hand  for  lining  and  the  seeds  for  food  for  the  nest- 
lings. Except  in  the  breeding  season,  it  is  found  in  small 
flocks,  feeding  upon  the  seeds  of  weeds  or  plants,  and  to  a 
limited  extent  upon  berries  and  haws.  Along  the  edge 
of  a  country  road  in  the  fall,  the  weed  tops  blossom  with 
these  merry  songsters,  who  fly  up  as  you  come  near,  only 


YELLOW   OR  ORANGE   CONSPICUOUS      529 

to  alight  again  a  few  feet  farther  on,  singing  the  same  gay 
"  perchicoree,  per-chic-o-ree"  as  do  their  Eastern  kinsfolk. 


531.    LAWRENCE   GOLDFINCH.  —  Aslragalinus 
lawrencei. 

FAMILY  :  The  Finches,  Sparrows,  etc. 

Length:  4.50-4.70. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  brownish  gray  (the  back  sometimes  tinged 
with  olive-green),  changing  to  bright  greenish  yellow  on  rump  and 
wings  ;  crown,  face,  and  throat  black  ;  median  under  parts  yellow  ; 
lateral  under  parts  light  brownish-gray,  becoming  white  on  tail- 
coverts  and  middle  of  be.lly. 

Adult  Female:  Similar  to  male,  but  colors  duller,  and  without  black  on 
head  or  throat. 

Young:  Similar  to  female,  but  duller  and  lower  parts  indistinctly 
streaked. 

Geographical  Distribution :  California  west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada  ;  south- 
eastward in  winter  to  Arizona. 

California  Breeding  Range:  Local  in  upper  and  lower  Sonoran  zones 
west  of  the  Sierra  Nevada,  as  far  north  as  Chico.  Recorded  from 
Ventura  County  and  San  Gorgonia  Pass. 

Breeding  Season :  April,  May,  and  June. 

Nest :  Composed  of  wool,  fine  grasses,  down,  and  feathers,  closely  woven 
together  ;  lined  with  long  hair ;  placed  on  extreme  end  of  the  limb 
of  a  live  oak  tree.  Sometimes  the  nest  is  composed  entirely  of 
grasses. 

Eggs:  4  or  5  ;  pure  white.     Size  0.62  X  0.44. 

THE  Lawrence  Goldfinch  is  a  haunter  of  the  canons 
and  the  lower  range  of  pine  forests.  Like  the  Arkansas 
and  willow  goldfinches,  it  is  found  in  small  flocks  feed- 
ing on  the  seeds  of  weeds  and  flitting  from  one  foraging 
ground  to  another  in  the  winter  days.  Early  in  April  it 
seeks  its  breeding  places  in  the  foot-hills,  where,  securely 
hidden  from  prying  eyes  in  the  unfrequented  canons,  it 

34 


530  LAND   BIRDS 

rears  its  brood.  By  November  it  comes  down  to  the 
lowlands,  driven  probably  by  lack  of  food  supplies  fully 
as  much  as  by  the  cold  weather. 


607.   LOUISIANA  TANAGER,    OR   WESTERN 
TAN  ACER.  —  Piranga  ludovidana. 

FAMILY  :  The  Tanagers. 

Length:  6.75-7.75. 

Adult  Male:  Head  and  neck  red,  brightest  on  crown  ;  back,  scapulars, 
wings,  and  tail  black;  the  wings  with  two  broad  yellow  bands;  rump, 
upper  tail-coverts,  and  under  parts  bright  yellow.  Winter  plumage 
like  female. 

Adult  Female:  Upper  parts  olive-green  ;  back  and  scapulars  grayish; 
wing-bars  dull  light  yellow  ;  under  parts  pale  grayish  yellow,  becom- 
ing bright  yellow  under  tail-coverts. 

Young :  Similar  to  adult  female,  but  paler  beneath  ;  upper  and  lower 
parts  indistinctly  streaked  with  dusky. 

Geographical  Distribution :  Western  United  States  ;  straggles  eastward 
in  migration  to  the  Atlantic  States. 

California  Breeding  llange :  Chiefly  in  Transition  zone  along  the  entire 
length  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 

Breeding  Season  :  April  to  July. 

Nest:  Thin,  saucer-shaped  structure;  made  of  bark  strips  and  grass 
stems ;  lined  with  rootlets  and  horsehair ;  usually  placed  on  the 
horizontal  limb  of  a  tree,  preferably  an  evergreen,  about  15  to  30  feet 
from  the  ground. 

Eggs:  3.  to  5;  light  bluish  green,  lightly  speckled  with  browns  and 
purples,  chiefly  at  the  larger  end.  Size  0.95  X  0.65. 

WHEN  Louisiana  stretched  across  the  continent  from 
the  Mississippi  River  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  and  north  to 
British  America,  the  most  beautiful  bird  within  its  bor- 
ders became  known  as  the  Louisiana  Tanager.  This  ap- 
pellation has  long  since  ceased  to  be  appropriate,  for  the 
bird  is  only  a  rare  migrant  in  the  State  whose  name  it 
bears,  and  its  centre  of  abundance  is  in  the  Rocky  Moun- 


YELLOW   OR  ORANGE   CONSPICUOUS     531 

tains.  Here  and  in  all  the  Western  mountains  it  breeds 
in  the  coniferous  forests.  In  the  Sierra  Nevada  the 
Tanagers  are  among  the  birds  most  commonly  observed, 
and  in  May  the  buffalo  berries  near  Pyramid  Lake  fairly 
blossom  with  them.  Early  in  the  morning  the  rather 
monotonous  song  rings  clearly  from  the  top  of  the  tall 
pines,  and  a  dash  of  yellow  tipped  with  red  and  black 
appears  against  the  dark  green  of  the  trees  or  the  blue  of 
the  sky.  The  song  is  very  like  that  of  the  Eastern  tan- 
agers,  but  less  musical,  having  a  shrillness  and  flatness 
of  tone  that  are  iiot  pleasing  to  the  ear.  Its  call-note 
is  short  and  incisive  and  has  been  rendered  as  "  pitic, 
pitictic." 

The  nest  of  this  brilliantly  plumaged  bird  is  commonly 
placed  on  a  horizontal  branch  of  a  fir  or  pine,  and  is  so 
concealed  by  the  foliage  as  to  be  practically  invisible 
from  below.  Unlike  the  scarlet  tanager  of  the  East,  it 
constructs  a  carelessly  woven  saucer-shaped  affair,  so 
shallow  in  some  instances  that  a  hard  wind  storm  would 
throw  the  contents  out  were  not  the  mother  brooding 
over  them. 

Incubation  lasts  thirteen  days,  and  is  performed  by  the 
mother  bird  alone,  the  male  rarely  if  ever  going  to  the 
nest  until  the  brood  are  hatched.  As  soon  as  the  nest- 
lings are  out  of  the  shell,  however,  he  assumes  his  full 
share  of  the  labor  of  feeding  them.  In  the  case  of  one 
brood  at  Slippery  Ford  in  the  Sierra  Nevada,  the  male 
brought  fifteen  large  insects  and  countless  smaller  ones 
in  the  half  hour  between  half-past  four  and  five  one 
June  morning.  During  most  of  the  day  the  trips  to  the 


532 


LAND  BIRDS 


nest  with  food  averaged  ten  minutes  apart.  The  longest 
period  of  fasting  was  twenty-three  minutes,  and  the  short- 
est one  and  one-half  minutes.  Usually  one  can  tell  what 
food  a  nestling  has  swallowed  by  looking  closely  at  its 
distended  crop,  as  the  contents  are  visible  through  the 
nearly  transparent  skin.  But 
these  young  Tanagers  were 
twenty  feet  from  the  ground  in 
a  slender  fir,  and  I  could  not 
examine  them  ;  consequently  I 
could  judge  of  the  menu 
only  by  the  foraging  of  the 
adult,  and  by  what  I  saw 
sticking  out  of  his  bill. 
When  he  darted  out  into 
the  air  and  back  again  in  fly- 
catcher fashion,  I  knew  he  was 
after  a  small  insect.  When  he 
came  from  the  bushes  with  a 
bunch  on  either  side  of  his  beak, 
I  was  sure  he  had  picked  up  a 
caterpillar  ;  when  wings  of  gauzy 
texture  projected  on  one  side  of 
the  mandibles  and  a  long  black 
body  on  the  other,  I  made  a  Yankee  guess  that  a  dragon- 
fly had  been  captured  for  breakfast. 

As  soon  as  the  nestlings  were  able  to  fly  they  came 
down  to  the  cover  of  the  lower  brush  and  fed  in  com- 
pany with  their  parents.  We  knew  this  by  the  anxiety 
of  the  adults  and  by  their  efforts  to  lead  us  away  from 


607.  LOUISIANA  TANAGER. 

"  A  dragonfly  had  been  cap- 
hired  for  breakfast." 


YELLOW  OR  ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS      533 

the  immediate  vicinity  when  we  stumbled  into  it,  but  long 
and  patient  search  revealed  only  one  of  the  young  birds. 
He  was  sitting  on  a  low  bush,  looking  as  solemn  as  a 
young  owl,  and  allowed  us  to  go  close  to  him.  Except 
for  size  he  looked  like  a  goldfinch  nestling  and  was  no 
more  timid  than  the  latter.  The  adults  moved  anxiously 
through  the  branches  over  our  heads  uttering  plaintive 
calls  of  fear  and  low  purring  notes  of  remonstrance  with 
us  or  of  reassurance  to  the  young.  I  am  convinced  that 
but  for  their  excitement  he  would  have  known  no  fear. 

Later,  in  August,  small  flocks  of  young  Tanagers  were 
seen,  in  company  with  vireos,  feeding  among  the  pine 
trees  and  evidently  gathering  for  the  fall  migration. 
They  were  following  the  flycatcher  fashion  of  catching 
insects  on  the  wing,  beginning  when  the  sun  touched 
the  tops  of  the  trees  and  moving  downward  as  the  day 
•advanced  and  the  insect  life  nearer  the  ground  awoke  to 
activity.  In  like  manner  they  retreated  to  fhe  tree  tops 
as  the  shadows  fell  in  the  afternoon. 


645  a.  CALAVERAS   WARBLER.  —  Vermivora 
rubricapilla  gutturalis. 

FAMILY  :  The  Wood  Warblers. 

Length:  4.75. 

Adult  Male :  Top  of  head  gray,  with  chestnut  crown  patch  ;  white  eye- 
ring;  back  olive-green,  more  yellowish  on  rump  and  upper  tail- 
coverts  ;  under  parts  rich  bright  yellow. 

Adult  Female  :  Similar,  but  duller ;  little  or  no  chestnut  on  crown. 

Young:  Upper  parts  brownish  gray  ;  rump  greenish  gray  ;  under  parts 
dull  yellow,  becoming  buffy  brown  on  belly. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  United  States  from  Pacific  coast 
to  Rocky  Mountains ;  south  in  winter  to  Mexico. 


534  LAND  BIRDS 

California  Breeding  Range :  Along  the  Sierra  Nevada  from  Mt.  Shasta 

south  to  Mt.  Whitney. 
Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 
Nest :  On  the  ground  ;  composed  of  leaves,  bark  strips,  and  weed  steins  ; 

lined  with  finer  materials  of  the  same  kinds. 
Eggs :  3  to  5  ;  white,    spotted  with  reddish   brown  and  lavender,  in  a 

wreath  around  the  larger  end.     Size  0.64  X  0.45. 

THE  Calaveras  Warbler  may  be  said  to  correspond  to 
the  Nashville  warbler  of  the  Eastern  States.  In  Cali- 
fornia it  is  a  haunter  of  the  brush-covered  hillsides,  hid- 
ing shyly  in  the  scrubby  undergrowth  and  singing  from 
the  concealment  of  the  deer  brush  and  chaparral.  Mr. 
Chester  A.  Barlow  writes  briefly  in  "The  Condor," 
November,  1901,  of  its  occurrence  in  the  Sierra  Nevada: 
"  Although  the  species  is  far  from  rare  in  numbers,  it 
appears  that  but  comparatively  few  of  its  nests  have 
been  taken;  but  this  is  not  strange  when  we  consider 
the  nature  and  extent  of  the  country  selected  for  nesting 
sites.  It  is  usually  by  the  merest  chance  that  a  nest  is 
discovered,  as  successful  a  method  as  any  being  to  beat 
through  the  '  mountain  misery '  in  the  vicinity  of  where 
the  male  bird  is  found  singing.  On  June  9,  1899,  I 
flushed  a  Calaveras  Warbler  from  her  nest  in  tarweed 
beneath  a  small  cedar  at  Fyffe,  California,  at  which  date 
the  nest  held  five  half-grown  young.  On  June  10,  1901, 
at  Slippery  Ford,  California,  a  nest  was  found  built 
among  an  accumulation  of  dry  black  oak  leaves  beneath 
a  deer  brush  on  the  side  of  a  gulch.  It  contained  five 
eggs,  two-thirds  advanced  in  incubation." 


YELLOW   OR  ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS      535 

652  c.  CALIFORNIA  YELLOW  WARBLER.  —  Dendroica 
cestiva  bretvsteri. 

FAMILY  :  The  Wood  Warblers. 

Length:  4.50-5.25. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  bright  yellowish  olive-green,  brightest  on 
rump  ;  forehead  bright  yellow  ;  front  of  crown  sometimes  tinged 
with  orange  ;  wing-feathers  edged  with  yellow  ;  under  parts  yellow  ; 
breast  and  belly  streaked  with  rufous. 

Adult  Female :  Upper  parts  yellowish  green,  darker  than  in  the  male ; 
lighter  on  forehead  and  rump  ;  under  parts  pale  and  duller,  usually 
unstreaked. 

Young:  Similar  to  adult  female. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Pacific  coast  region,  from  Lower  California 
north  to  Washington.  Possibly  farther  south  in  winter. 

California  Breeding  Range :  In  upper  Sonoran  zone  chiefly,  and  else- 
where throughout  the  State. 

Breeding  Season :  April,  May,  and  June. 

Nest :  Compact  cup-shaped  structure  ;  made  of  grayish  plant-fibre,  spider 
webs,  etc.  ;  lined  with  down  and  feathers  ;  placed  in  bushes  or  trees. 

Eggs:  2  to  6  ;  bluish  white,  spotted  usually  in  wreath  around  the  larger 
end,  with  brown,  black,  and  lilac  gray.  Size  0.66  X  0.48. 

THE  Yellow  Warbler  of  California  is  the  yellow  war- 
bler of  the  East,  the  "  summer  yellow  bird  "  of  the  Mas- 
sachusetts farmers,  sometimes  erroneously  called  the  wild 
canary,  and  its  "  wee-chee-chee-chee-cher-wee  "  rings  as 
joyously  from  the  chaparral  as  from  the  wild  rose  and 
the  blackberries.  Next  to  the  robin  aud  the  bluebird,  it 
is  the  bird  best  known  to  the  country  children,  who  find 
its  nest  in  the  hazel  bushes  on  the  way  to  school.  In 
California  it  is  somewhat  more  shy  and  less  apt  to  come 
into  view  from  every  roadside  thicket. 

The  nest  is  an  exquisitely  moulded  cup  lined  with 
plant  down  that  has  been  felted  until  it  is  like  shining 
white  satin ;  even  the  rim  presenting  a  smoothly  rolled 


536  LAND  BIRDS 

appearance.  It  is  placed  in  an  upright  crotch  of  a  low 
bush  with  little  attempt  at  concealment.  One  little  nest 
that  we  found  had  two  of  the  leaves  fastened  down  over 
it  in  the  weaving,  probably  by  accident,  and  they  formed 
a  complete  shelter  and  protection  from  the  wind.  The 
female  flew  in  at  one  side  and  usually  sat  facing  the 
opening,  perfectly  concealed,  yet  seeing  all  that  occurred 
around.  But  the  typical  Yellow  Warbler  nest  is  built 
with  an  eye  to  sunshine  and  fresh  air  and  recklessly  ex- 
posed to  the  gaze  of  every  passer-by. 

The  small  bluish  eggs,  wreathed  with  minute  brown 
spots  at  the  larger  end,  are  very  like  the  eggs  of  the 
German  canaries,  and  I  have  placed  them  under  a  sit- 
ting canary  hen  for  hatching.  The  only  drawback  was 
that  they  hatched  in  twelve  days,  which  was  two  days 
sooner  than  those  of  their  adoptive  mother,  and  caused 
her  to  throw  them  out  of  the  nest  and  go  on  sitting  on 
her  own  eggs.  Under  normal  conditions  they  hatch 
under  their  own  mother  in  twelve  days,  and  sitting  is 
never  begun  until  the  full  complement  is  laid,  so  that 
the  whole  brood  emerge  from  the  shell  on  the  same  day. 
At  first,  like  most  young  birds,  they  are  naked  except  for 
sparse  down  on  the  head,  but  at  the  end  of  a  week  they 
have  pinfeathers  on  wings  and  tail  and  thin  down  on  the 
other  parts  of  the  body.  In  another  week  the  feathers 
have  burst  their  sheaths,  and  the  nestlings  are  the  pret- 
tiest things  in  the  wood.  They  are  fed  upon  insects  by 
regurgitation  for  the  first  few  days,  and  later  upon  the 
fresh  food. 


YELLOW   OR  ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS      537 


655.   YELLOW-RUMPED   WARBLER,   OR  MYRTLE 
WARBLER.  —  Dendroica  coronata. 

FAMILY  :  The  Wood  Warblers. 

Length:  5.65. 

Adult  Male  in  Spring  and  Summer:  A  yellow  patch  ou  the  crown, 
rump,  and  either  side  of  the  breast ;  upper  parts  bluish  gray,  streaked 
with  black ;  two  white  wing-bars ;  tail  black,  with  gray  edgings  ; 
outer  pair  of  tail-feathers  with  large  spots  of  white  ;  throat  white ; 
breast  and  upper  belly  heavily  marked  with  black ;  lower  belly 
white. 

Adult  Female  in  Spring  and  Summer :  Similar,  but  smaller,  and  colors 
duller  ;  upper  parts  browner ;  breast  simply  streaked  with  black. 

Adult  Male  in  Fall  and  ff inter :  Upper  parts  grayish  brown,  streaked 
with  black  on  back  and  scapulars  ;  yellow  crown  patch  concealed  by 
brown  tips  of  feathers  ;  throat  and  chest  buffy  brown  ;  chest  streaked 
with  black  ;  yellow  patches  obscured ;  black  patches  with  white  edges 
to  feathers. 

Adult  Female  in  Fall  and  Winter :  Similar  to  winter  male,  but  smaller ; 
upper  parts  browner,  yellow  crown  patch  restricted  or  obsolete  ;  under 
parts  pale  buff-brown  in  front  and  on  sides  ;  centre  of  breast  and 
belly  yellowish  white  ;  yellow  breast  patches  indistinct. 

Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  no  yellow  anywhere  except  sometimes  on 
rump  ;  whole  plumage  thickly  streaked  above  and  below. 

Geographical  Distribution:  North  America,  chiefly  east  and  north  of 
Rocky  Mountains  ;  rare  west,  except  along  the  Pacific  coast ;  south 
in  winter  to  Middle  States,  West  Indies,  and  Panama. 

Breeding  Range :  British  Columbia  and  Alaska. 

Breeding  Season:  June  15  to  July  15. 

Nest :  Of  vegetable  fibres ;  lined  with  mosses,  feathers,  and  hair  ;  placed 
in  coniferous  trees,  5  to  1 0  feet  from  the  ground. 

Eggs :  3  to  6  ;  white,  spotted  chiefly  around  larger  end  with  brown  and 
lilac.  Size  0.70  X  0.52. 

THE  Yellow-rumped  Warbler  differs  from  the  Audubou 
warbler  in  having  a  white  throat.  Both  species  are  very 
like  the  Myrtle  Warbler  of  the  East,  and  Mr.  Grinnell 
lists  the  Yellow-rumped  in  California  as  the  "  Alaska 
Myrtle  Warbler,"  while  Mrs.  Bailey  calls  it  "the  Eastern 


538  LAND   BIRDS 

representative  of  the  Audubon  warbler  "  because  its  range 
is  extended  eastward  to  the  Rocky  Mountains.  But  it 
certainly  seems  more  like  a  Western  representative  of  the 
Myrtle  Warbler,  with  its  white  throat  and  its  early  mi- 
gration. East  and  West  it  is  one  of  the  first  of  its  family 
to  start  for  the  breeding  grounds  in  the  spring. 

656.    AUDUBON    WARBLER.  —  Dendroica  auduboni. 
FAMILY  :  The  Wood  Warblers. 

Length:  5.12-6.00. 

Adult  Mal,e  in  Spring  and  Summer :  Throat  and  rump  yellow  ;  upper 
parts  bluish  slate,  streaked  with  black ;  large  white  patches  on  wing- 
coverts  ;  tail  black,  with  patch  of  white ;  under  parts  with  patches  of 
white,  yellow,  and  black. 

Adult  Female  in  Spring  and  Summer:  Similar,  but  colors  duller,  and 
with  less  black  on  under  parts ;  upper  parts  tinged  with  brown ; 
yellow  crown  patch  restricted  and  partly  tipped  with  brownish  gray  ; 
wing-bands  narrower ;  chest  and  sides  grayish,  marked  with  black  ; 
color-patches  restricted. 

Adult  Male  in  Fall  and  Winter :  Duller  and  browner  than  summer 
males. 

Adult  Female  in  Fall  and  Winter :  Similar  to  winter  male,  hut  smaller 
and  duller. 

Young :  Upper  parts  streaked  dark  and  light  brownish  gray ;  under 
parts  light  and  streaked. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  Nortk  America,  north  as  far  as 
British  Columbia ;  east  to  eastern  base  of  Rocky  Mountains  ;  winters 
in  valleys  of  Western  United  States,  and  south  to  Guatemala. 

California  Breeding  Range :  In  Transition  zone  along  the  Sierra  Nevada 
from  the  San  Bernardino  mountains  to  Shasta  County. 

Breeding  Season :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  Usually  in  pines  or  spruces,  4  to  5  feet  from  the  ground  ;  com- 
posed of  shreds  of  bark,  pine  needles,  and  fine  rootlets ;  lined  with 
hair  and  feathers. 

Eggs :  4  or  5  ;  greenish,  speckled  with  black,  brown,  and  purple.  Size 
0.67  X  0.52. 

MRS.  BAILEY  calls  this  bird  "  the  whirligig  of  perpetual 
motion/'  and  the  name  fits.     A  flash  of  yellow,  black, 


YELLOW   OR  ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS      539 


and  white  flits  through  the  clearings  in  the  Sierra  Nevada 
and  you  are  conscious  that  an  Audubon  Warbler  has 
flown  by.  He  has  all  the  tricks  and  manners  of  a  fly- 
catcher, darting  out  after  insects  or  dodging  about  among 
the  tree  tops,  always  in  a  hurry,  always  in  a  mad  chase 
for  something  to  eat. 
Unless  you  go  to  his 
summer  haunts  in  the 
Sierra  Nevada  you  will 
not  see  him  at  his  best, 
for  the  "  winter  visitant " 
of  the  valleys  wears  a 
more  sober  plumage  of 
dull  brown  streaked  with 
black  and  only  a  little 
yellow  visible.  In  his 
breeding  grounds  among 
the  pines  and  spruces  of 
the  mountains  he  is  a 
brilliant,  happy-go-lucky 
little  chap,  not  at  all  shy, 
but  is  so  absorbed  in  his 
own  busy  life  as  to  care 
little  who  watches  him. 
The  four  nests  I  have 
found  were  all  near  Tallac  on  Lake  Tahoe,  and  were  all  in 
young  spruce  trees,  within  five  feet  of  the  ground,  along 
a  frequented  path.  On  June  15  one  contained  young 
a  week  old,  and  three  held  eggs  in  various  stages  of  in- 
cubation. The  pair  whose  young  had  hatched  so  early 


"  Alway, 
to  eat." 


656.    AUDUBON   WAIIBLER. 

nad  chase  for  something 


540  LAND  BIRDS 

were  very  friendly,  feeding  them  without  much  fear 
while  I  sat  within  three  or  four  feet  of  the  nest  and  on 
a  level  with  it.  They  usually  came  with  nothing  to  be 
seen  in  their  beaks,  but  the  insect  food  they  had  gleaned 
and  carried  in  their  own  throats  was  regurgitated  into 
the  throats  of  the  young.  When  the  latter  were  five 
days  old  the  mother  bird,  for  the  first  time,  brought  an 
insect  large  enough  to  be  seen,  and  crammed  it  into  the 
open  bill  of  one  of  the  nestlings,  and  from  that  time  on 
most  of  the  food  brought  was  eaten  by  the  young  while 
fresh. 

In  the  brood  whose  incubation  was  closely  watched, 
I  found  that  twelve  days  elapsed  between  the  laying  of 
the  last  egg  and  the  advent  of  the  young.  The  female 
did  most  of  the  brooding ;  the  male  was  found  on  the 
nest  only  once,  but  was  usually  perched  on  a  neighbor- 
ing tree  warbling  his  enthusiastic  little  song,  "  cheree- 
cheree-cheree-cheree."  After  the  young  were  feathered 
enough  to  leave  the  nest,  —  which  occurred  when  they 
were  two  weeks  old,  —  the  male  forgot  to  sing  and 
became  a  veritable  family  drudge  with  the  brood  ever  at 
his  heels  clamoring  for  food. 

668.    TOWNSEND   WARBLER.  —  Dendroica  totmsendi. 
FAMILY  :  The  Wood  Warblers. 

Length:  4.90-5.30. 

Adult  Male  in  Spring  and  Summer:  Head  and  throat  black,  with  bright 
yellow  superciliary  and  malar  stripes  ;  breast  bright  yellow  ;  belly 
and  under  tail-coverts  white  ;  the  latter,  also  sides  and  flanks,  broadly 
streaked  with  black  ;  back  bright  olive-green,  with  black  arrow-point 


YELLOW   OR  ORANGE   CONSPICUOUS      541 

streaks ;  wings  and  tail  blackish  ;   two   white  wing-bars,   tail   with 

small  white  spots  at  end  of  lateral  feathers. 
Adult  Female  in  Spring  and  Summer :   Similar  to  winter  male,  but 

black  streaking  of  upper  parts  and  sides  restricted  or  obsolete  ;  crown 

sometimes  blackish  ;  throat  often  blotched  with  black. 
Adult  Male  in  Fall  and   Winter :  Similar  to  summer  male,  but  black 

obscured  ;   crown  and  hind-neck  with  olive-green  edges  to  feathers  ; 

cheek  patch  with  olive-green  tips  to  feathers  ;  throat  lemon-yellow  ; 

chest  and  sides  spotted  with  black. 
Adult  Female  in  Fall  and  Winter :  Similar  to  summer  female,  but  upper 

parts,    sides,   and   flanks    brownish,    with    streaks    of   upper  parts 

indistinct. 
Young  Male :  Similar  to  adult  winter  male,  but  streaks  on  crown  and 

back  obsolete,  and  yellow  of  throat  paler. 
Young  Female :  Similar  to  adult  winter  female,   but  yellow  paler  and 

markings  less  distinct. 
Geographical   Distribution:   Western  North   America,  chiefly  near  the 

Pacific  coast,  north  to  Alaska  ;  migrating  east  to  Rocky  Mountains. 

and  south  in  winter  to  Guatemala. 

Breeding  Range :  In  the  pine  forests,  from  Oregon  to  Sitka. 
Breeding  Season :  June. 
Nest:  Compact,   cup-shaped;   made  of  gray  plant  fibres;   lined  with 

feathers,  placed  in  bushes  or  trees. 
Eggs  ;3  or  4 ;  white,  spotted  mainly  about  the  larger  end  with  brown 

and  lavender.     Size  0.64  X  0.53. 


MR.  GRINNELL  says :  "  The  Townsend  Warbler  occurs 
in  California  as  a  winter  visitant  in  the  Santa  Cruz,  and 
sparingly  elsewhere  west  of  the  Sierra  Ne\fada ;  occurs 
more  widely  during  migration." 

It  is  one  of  those  tantalizing  Warblers  who  persist  in 
staying  in  the  tops  of  tall  trees,  where  they  dodge  in 
and  out  among  the  foliage  in  a  most  exasperating  way. 
But,  in  spite  of  all  difficulties,  if  the  "  Warbler  mad- 
ness "  has  taken  possession  of  you,  a  day  of  neck-breaking 
study  will  count  for  "nothing  as  against  the  possibility  of 
identifying  a  species  unknown  to  you,  and  townsendi 
offers  unparalleled  opportunities  in  this  line. 


542  LAND   BIRDS 

The  common  note  of  this  species  is  a  high-keyed 
"  tseep."  The  song  is  very  short,  and  heard  from  below 
is  scarcely  more  musical  than  that  of  a  grasshopper 
sparrow. 

669.    HERMIT   WARBLER.  —  Dendroica  occidentalis. 
FAMILY  :  The  Wood  Warblers. 

Length:  4.70-5.25. 

Adult  Male  in  Spring  and  Summer :  Top  and  sides  of  head  bright  yellow, 
the  occiput,  and  sometimes  the  crown,  spotted  with  black  ;  throat 
black ;  under  parts  white,  sometimes  streaked  on  sides ;  nape  olive- 
green  streaked  with  black  ;  rest  of  upper  parts  gray,  washed  with 
olive-green  and  streaked  with  black  ;  wings  and  tail  black  ;  two  white 
wing-bands ;  tail  with  the  two  outer  feathers  on  each  side  mostly 
white. 

Adult  Female  in  Spring  and  Summer :  Similar  to  winter  male,  but  fore- 
head and  crown  more  or  less  mixed  with  yellow  ;  body  more  olive  ; 
dusky  patch  on  throat  and  chest. 

Adult  Hale  in  Fall  and  Winter  :  Similar  to  summer  male,  but  the  yel- 
low of  crown  and  occiput  more  or  less  obscured  ;  black  streaks  of  back 
mixed  with  gray,  and  black  throat  patch  specked  with  white. 

Adult  Female  in  Fall  and  Winter  :  Upper  parts  olive-gray ;  crown  with 
traces  of  yellow  ;  under  parts  brownish  white. 

Young:  Upper  parts  plain  ash-gray  ;  iinder  parts  brownish  gray,  except 
that  the  belly  and  under  tail-coverts  are  white. 

Geographical  Distribution:  Western  United  States,  chiefly  near  Pacific 
coast ;  migrating  east  to  Rocky  Mountains,  and  south  in  winter  to 
Guatemala. 

California  Breeding  Range  :  In  Transition  zone  along  the  Sierra  Nevada 
from  Mt.  Shasta  to  Mt.  Whitney. 

Breeding  Season  :  June. 

Nest:  Of  fibrous  stalks  of  plants,  fine  dead  twigs,  lichens,  and  pine 
needles,  bound  with  cobwebs,  and  woolly  materials  ;  lined  with  soft 
inner  bark  and  hair ;  placed  in  coniferous  trees,  from  25  to  40  feet 
from  the  ground. 

Eggs:  3  ;  dull  white  or  grayish  green,  spotted  or  blotched  with  lilac, 
gray,  or  brown,  chiefly  around  larger  end.  '  Size  0.67  X  0.47. 

WHILE  a  fairly  common  bird  along  the  lower  Sierra 
Nevada  from  Mount  Shasta  southward,  the  Hermit 


YELLOW   OR  ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS      543 


Warbler  is  comparatively  little  known.     Its  shyness  and 
its  quiet  way  of  slipping  from  tree  to  tree,  keeping  well 
out  of  reach  in  the  conifers,  makes  any  extensive  obser- 
vation of  its  habits  diffi- 
cult.    On    the    Placer- 
ville-Tahoe  stage  route, 


I  heard  this  bird  sing 
and  caught  tantaliz- 
ing glimpses  of  him 
in  the  tops  of  the 
nianzanita  and  deer 
brush  along  the  road- 
side ;  but,  seeming 
to  know  intuitively 
whenever  we  made 
a  stop  to  study  him,  he  would  instantly  end  his  thin 
little  song  and  vanish  among  the  green  leaves. 


669.    HERMIT  WARBLER. 
"  With  her  beak  full  of  cobwebs." 


544  LAND  BIRDS 

On  June  8,  after  quiet  hiding  and  patient  watching, 
\ve  saw  a  female  of  this  species  fly  away  with  her  beak 
full  of  cobwebs  which  trailed  nearly  two  inches,  and 
alight  on  a  tall  cedar  not  ten  feet  from  the  travelled 
stage  road ;  but  the  tree  was  so  difficult  to  climb  that 
we  could  not  investigate  it.  In  a  moment  she  flew  out 
of  it,  empty-mouthed,  and  further  waiting  for  her  second 
visit  was  fruitless.  Meanwhile  her  mate  had  devoted 
himself  to  hunting  for  insects  under  the  leaves  of  the 
deer  brush,  and  seemed  equally  oblivious  to  her  presence 
and  her  absence.  I  fancied  him  a  self-centred  mite 
because,  when  she  alighted  beside  him,  coaxing  with 
a  pretty  chirp  as  nestlings  do,  he  fed  her  in  a  matter-of- 
fact  fashion  and  resumed  his  own  meal.  Long,  careful 
searching  in  this  and  other  places  failed  to  reveal  any 
nest,  although  it  is  certain  there  was  one  in  process  of 
construction  near  by.  Mr.  Barlow  found  one,  and,  after 
"  collecting  "  the  female,  discovered  there  were  young 
in  the  cradle.  These  were  promptly  cared  for  by  the 
male,  who  fed  and  brooded  them. 

Mr.  Bowles  describes  the  song  of  this  bird  as  "  zeegle- 
zeegle-zeegle-zeek,"  but  to  me  it  sounded  more  like 
"jiggle-jiggle-jiggle-jig."  Although  not  loud,  it  has  a 
carrying  quality  which  at  once  arrests  attention.  The 
call-note  is  a  sharp  "  tseet." 


YELLOW  OR  ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS   545 

680.  MACGILLIVRAY    WARBLER.  —  Oporornis  tolmiei. 
FAMILY  :  The  Wood  Warblers. 

Length:  5.00-5.75. 

Adult  Male :  Head,  throat,  and  breast  slate-gray  ;  throat  feathers  mar- 
gined with  gray  ;  rest  of  under  parts  yellow  ;  lores  black  ;  a  distinct 

white  spot  on  each  eyelid ;   back  olive-green,  sometimes  merging  to 

grayish  olive. 
Adult  Female :  Similar  to  male,  but  crown,  hind-neck,  and  sides  of  head 

and  neck  mouse-gray,  fading  to  grayish  white  on  throat  and  breast. 
Young :  Similar  to  adults,  but  plumage  softer  ;  throat,  chest,  and  spots 

on  eyelids  yellowish  ;  streak  over  lores  pale  yellow. 
Geographical  Distribution :  In  the  mountainous  regions  of  Western  North 

America,  from  the  east  slope  of  the  Rockies  to  the  Pacific,  north 

to  British  Columbia,  south  in  winter  to  Panama. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Through  Transition  zone  along  the  Sierra 

Nevada  from  Mt.  Shasta  to  the  San  Bernardino  mountains. 
Breeding  Season:  May  15  to  June  15. 
Nest :  Of  dried  grasses  ;  lined  with  finer  grasses  and  horsehair  ;  placed 

in  weeds,  bushes,  or  low  shrubs,  1  to  6  feet  from  the  ground. 
Eggs :  3  to  5  ;  creamy  white,  marked  near  the  larger  end  with  spots  and 

pen  lines  of  dark  brown  and  lilac  gray.     Size  0.72  X  0.52. 

IN  the  chaparral  and  underbrush  ;  .  in  ravines  where 
small  brooks  wind  in  and  out,  their  borders  fringed 
with  thick  bracken ;  on  the  scrubby  hillsides,  —  the 
Macgillivray  Warbler  hides  shyly  among  the  low  foliage, 
or  sings  an  odd  little  trill  as  you  pass.  These  are  his 
chosen  haunts,  and  here  among  the  ferns  he  will  build 
a  dainty  nest  so  carefully  hidden  and  so  closely  guarded 
that  only  by  accident  can  you  discover  it.  And  if  you 
do  chance  to  locate  it  and  part  the  ferns  the  least  bit  to 
peer  into  it,  unless  the  eggs  are  nearly  ready  to  hatch 
they  will  be  abandoned  by  the  timid  Warblers  and  your 
opportunity  to  see  a  brood  develop  will  be  lost.  Under 
these  circumstances  it  is  small  wonder  that  little  is 

35 


546  LAND  BIRDS 

known  concerning  the  nesting  habits  of  this  species,  so 
far  as  the  time  of  incubation  and  the  rearing  of  the 
young  are  concerned.  One  nest,  found  near  San  Jose, 
June  2,  and  containing  young  about  six  days  old,  was 
visited  daily  with  no  disastrous  results,  but  this  is  only 
a  partial  success  among  a  long  list  of  failures.  In  this 
case  the  parents  were  so  shy  that  they  refused  to  go  to 
the  nest  with  food  while  an  observer  was  in  sight,  and 
the  field  glasses  could  reveal  nothing  sufficiently  accurate 
to  be  recorded.  The  nest  was  nicely  hidden  in  a  clump 
of  weeds  on  the  edge  of  a  small  brook  and  within  five 
inches  of  the  ground.  A  jump  across  the  brook  almost 
into  it  resulted  in  its  discovery.  When  watched,  the 
adults  alighted  at  some  distance  from  it  and  dodged 
from  clump  to  clump  and  through  the  weeds  until  they 
reached  the  spot  where  it  lay.  Close  observation  failed 
to  record  accurately  how  often  they  went  with  food,  so 
slyly  did  they  slip%  through  tangles  and  open  like  small 
gray  mice ;  the  crops  of  the  nestlings,  examined  immedi- 
ately after  feeding,  bulged  with  insect  food  dark  in  color. 
They  left  the  nest  after  four  days'  watching,  and  were 
probably  less  than  ten  days  old. 

681  c.    PACIFIC   YELLOW-THROAT.  —  Geothlypis 

trichas  arizela. 
FAMILY  :  The  Wood  Warblers. 

Length:  4.70-5.75. 

Adult  Male  :  Forehead  and  sides  of  head  black,  bordered  above  with 
white,  sometimes  tinged  with  yellow  ;  rest  of  upper  parts  plain  olive- 
green  ;  under  parts  yellow.  In  winter  washed  with  brown. 

Adult  Female  :  Upper  parts  olive-brown,  without  black,  ashy,  or  white  ; 


YELLOW  OR  ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS      547 

crown   sometimes  washed  with   reddish  brown,  tail  with  greenish; 

under  parts  yellowish  white. 

Young :  Similar  to  adult  male,  Gut  black  mask  less  distinct. 
Geographical  Distribution :  Pacific  coast  from  British  Columbia  to  Lower 

California;  east  to  the  Cascades  and  Sierra  Nevada  ;  south  in  winter 

through  Lower  California  and  Mexico. 
California  Breeding  Range :  In  the  San  Diegan  district,  northwest  to 

Santa  Barbara,  and  possibly  northward. 
Breeding  Season  :  May  and  June. 

Nest :  On  or  near  the  ground,  among  weed  stalks  ;  cup-shaped  ;  of  grass. 
Eggs :  4  ;  white,  finely  speckled  with  brown. 

MINGLING  with  the  song  of  the  yellow-headed  black- 
birds and  the  tinkling  music  of  the  marsh  wrens,  the 
clear  "wichity,  wichity,  wichity,"  of  the  Yellow-throat 
rings  from  lowland  marsh  in  the  warm  May  sunshine, 
telling  the  world  that  spring  and  nesting  time  have 
come.  If  you  follow  the  song  to  its  source,  you  may 
catch  a  glimpse  of  a  black-masked  little  head,  flanked  by 
bright  yellow,  peeking  at  you  with  bewitching  curiosity, 
—  curiosity  mixed  with  fear,  however ;  for,  as  soon  as 
discovered,  the  head  is  quickly  withdrawn,  and  only  a 
moving  of  the  leaves  tells  where  the  singer  has  hidden 
himself.  But  you  have  seen  enough  to  make  you  curious 
in  your  turn,  and  to  induce  you  to  attempt  to  pursue  the 
fascinating  flash  of  yellow  and  green.  In  a  moment  more 
you  see  him  again,  a  small  greenish  bird  scrambling  for 
dear  life  through  the  tules  or  underbrush,  turning  his  odd 
little  face  constantly  to  keep  watch  of  you,  or  flying  over 
a  small  open  space  to  dive  hurriedly  into  the  shelter  of 
the  thicket.  From  clump  to  clump  he  flits  until,  when 
he  has  led  you  far  enough  from  his  nest,  he  dodges  down 
to  the  thickest  tangle  of  marsh  grass  and  hunts  for  his 
dinner  of  insects  while  you  hunt  in  vain  for  him.  With 


548  LAND  BIRDS 

all  this  hiding  he  is  not  particularly  shy,  and  you  feel  in- 
clined to  set  him  down  as  a  clever  little  tease  who  has 
purposely  led  you  a  chase  for  his  own  amusement. 
Throughout  the  long  summer  days  his  cheery,  energetic 
song  floats  over  the  wet  meadows  and  out  from  the 
blackberry  tangles  or  the  tule  swamp.  Neither  the  heat 
nor  the  cares  of  a  family  diminish  his  ardor  one  whit. 
He  even  springs  into  the  air  in  the  exuberance  of  joy, 
performing  chatlike  gymnastics  to  his  own  merry  music. 

On  the  bulky  nest,  snugly  hidden  low  in  the  bushes  or 
long  marsh  grass,  his  plain  little  mate  sits  brooding  for 
twelve  days,  unrelieved  by  the  dapper  singer.  It  is 
possible  that  he  may  feed  her,  but  I  have  never  been  able 
to  catch  him  at  it.  The  female  slips  noiselessly,  without 
protest,  away  through  the  underbrush  at  the  first  approach 
to  her  nest,  and  scolds  at  you  from  a  safe  distance,  while 
the  male,  bold  enough  when  danger  threatens,  comes 
nearer,  calling,  "  quit,  quit,  quit." 

You  are  certain  to  know  when  the  eggs  have  hatched 
by  the  storm  of  "  quits  "  that  greets  your  approach,  for 
the  Yellow-throat  is  a  devoted  parent.  Tirelessly  he 
hunts  through  the  wet  sedge  for  insects,  swallowing  them 
himself  first,  and  feeding  the  nestlings  with  the  partly 
digested  food  until  they  are  able  to  take  it  fresh  from 
the  field.  And  long  after  the  young  are  feathered  and 
out  of  the  nest,  they  follow  the  adult  about,  refusing  to 
help  themselves,  coaxing  to  be  fed,  until  you  wonder  he 
has  any  strength  left  to  sing.  The  female  takes  a  full 
share  of  this  labor,  but  is  less  often  seen  because  more 
shy. 


YELLOW   OR  ORANGE   CONSPICUOUS      549 


683  a.    LONG-TAILED   CHAT.  —  Icteria  virens  longicauda. 
FAMILY  :  The  Wood  Warblers. 

Length:  7.00-8.00. 

Adults:  Upper  parts  olive-gray  ;  superciliary,  eye-ring,  and  malar  stripe 

white  ;  lores  and  line  under  eye  deep  black  ;  throat  and  breast  bright 

yellow  ;  belly  and  under  tail-coverts  white. 
Young  :  Upper  parts  plain  dull  olive-gray  ;  lores  gray  ;  throat  whitish  ; 

chest,  sides,  and  Hanks  grayish  ;  rest  of  under  parts  white. 
Geographical  Distribution:  Western  United  States,  east  to  Great  Plains  ; 

south  into  Mexico. 
California  Breeding  Range :  Chiefly  in  upper  Sonoran  zone,  west  of  the 

Sierra  Nevada. 
Breeding  Season  :  May. 
Nest :  Of  dry  leaves,  grasses,  and  strips  of  bark  ;  lined 

with  finer  grasses  ;  placed  in  thickets  and  brambles 

of  low  undergrowth,  from  2  to  5  feet  above  the 

ground. 
Eggs :  3  or  4  ;  glossy  white  or  pinkish, 

speckled  and  spotted  with  shades 

of  brown,  which  are  heaviest  at  the 

larger  end.     Size  0.92  X  0.70. 


"  Is  the  odd  jumble  of 
whistle,  chucks,  and  caws  ut- 
tered by  one  bird  in  that 
copse  yonder,  or  by  half  a 
dozen  birds  in  as  many  places  ? 
Approach  cautiously  and  per- 
haps you  may  see  him  in  the 
air,  —  a  bunch  of  feathers 
twitched  downward  by  queer, 
jerky  notes  which  animate  it. 
One  might  suppose  so  peculiar 
a  performance  would  occupy 


his  entire  attention,  but  never-     jrom  dawn  untu  dark 


683  a.   LONG-TAILED  CHAT. 
Where,  he  whistled  and  sang 


550  LAND  BIRDS 

theless  he  has  seen  you.  In  an  instant  his  manner 
changes,  and  the  happy-go-lucky  clown,  who  a  moment 
before  was  turning  aerial  somersaults,  has  become  a  shy, 
suspicious  haunter  of  the  depth  of  the  thicket,  whence 
will  come  his  querulous  ' chut,  chut'  as  long  as  your 
presence  annoys  him."  l 

This  perfect  description  of  the  tricks  and  manners  of 
the  chat  is  the  best  means  of  identifying  the  species. 
Birds  with  olive-green  backs  and  yellow  under  parts  are 
common  enough,  but  one  that  combines  the  qualities  of 
a  Punchinello  with  the  grace  of  a  professional  gymnast  is 
rare.  To  the  chat,  life  is  one  long  joke. 

"  His  coming  in  the  spring  is  like  the  arrival  of  a  brass 
band.  .  .  .  When  not  whistling,  or  scolding  like  an 
oriole,  calling  like  a  cuckoo,  or  piping  like  a  shrill-voiced 
rock  squirrel,  he  will  bark  like  a  dog."  2 

It  is  hard  to  believe  this  of  a  bird  not  much  larger 
than  a  sparrow  and  belonging  to  the  family  of  warblers. 
But  no  words  can  describe  his  antics,  though  nearly 
every  writer  on  birds  has  tried.  Mr.  Bradford  Torrey 
and  Mrs.  Bailey  have  succeeded  better  than  any  others 
in  interpreting  this  eccentric  clown  of  the  bird  world. 

Most  of  his  aerial  gymnastics  are  for  the  benefit  of  his 
demure  sweetheart,  who  rarely  indulges  in  such  foolish- 
ness herself.  He  is  like  the  small  boy  who  must  turn 
handsprings  to  show  off. 

One  of  these  birds  that  built  his  nest  in  a  willow 
thicket  near  Pasadena  took  his  full  share  of  nest-building, 
and  would  bring  the  material  soberly  enough,  give  it  to 

1  Chapman.  «  Bailey. 


YELLOW   OR   ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS      551 

the  female,  who  seemed  to  do  all  the  weaving,  start 
out  for  more,  and  "  straightway  forgetting  what  manner 
of  man  he  was,"  end  in  one  of  these  curious  song 
flights.  Usually,  however,  he  came  with  strips  of  bark 
or  leaves  and  looked  on  with  conversational  chucks  that 
I  guessed  rather  than  heard,  as  most  of  my  observing  of 
him  was  done  through  the  field  glass.  After  the  begin- 
ning of  incubation,  which  lasted  fourteen  days,  he  paid 
little  attention  to  either  the  mate  or  the  nest  during  the 
middle  of  the  day,  but  frequented  a  thicket  fifty  yards 
away,  where  he  whistled  and  sang  from  dawn  until  dark, 
but  as  soon  as  the  eggs  had  hatched  he  was  all  devotion. 
At  this  time  it  was  possible  to  watch  from  a  concealed 
position,  and  to  keep  a  record  of  his  visits  to  the  nest 
with  food.  On  one  day,  which  seemed  to  be  a  fair 
average,  when  the  young  were  eight  days  old,  they  were 
fed  twenty  times  between  five  and  six  A.  M.,  eight  times 
between  nine  and  ten  A.M.,  eleven  times  between 
three  and  four  p.  M.,  and  seventeen  times  between  five 
and  six  P.M.  For  the  first  four  days  there  was  no 
visible  food  in  the  bill  of  the  adult,  and  the  feeding 
seemed  to  be  by  regurgitation.  After  that,  parts  of 
insects  could  be  seen  protruding  from  his  bill,  and  were 
given  to  the  young  in  a  fresh  state.  Beetles,  grass- 
hoppers, and  butterflies  were  all  in  the  dietary,  and  were 
brought  indiscriminately  ;  but  hairless  caterpillars  seemed 
to  be  the  favorite  food.  The  adults  are  said  to  eat 
berries,  but  I  saw  none  brought  to  the  nest  for  the 
young. 


552  LAND  BIRDS 

685  b.  GOLDEN   PILEOLATED  WARBLER.  —  Wilsonia 
pusilla  chryseola. 

FAMILY  :  The  Wood  Warblers. 

Length:  4.25-5.10. 

Adult  Male:  Upper  parts  bright  yellowish  olive-green  ;  crown  glossy 

blue-black;  under 'parts  bright  yellow;  forehead  sometimes  orange- 
yellow. 
Adult  Female:  Similar  to  male,  but  back  of  crown  usually  indistinct, 

being  concealed  by  olive  wash. 
Geographical  Distribution :   Western  North  America,    chiefly  along  or 

near  the  Pacific  coast ;  north  to  Southern  British  Columbia  ;  south 

in  winter  to  Northwestern  Mexico. 
Breeding  Season:  April  15  to  July  2. 
Nest :  Of  leaves,  bark  strips,  weed  stems,  vegetable  fibres,  and  rootlets ; 

lined  with  finer  grasses  ;  placed  in  thickets  and  blackberry  vines,  on 

or  near  the  ground. 
Eggs:  2  to  4;  white  or  creamy  white,  speckled  with  reddish  brown  and 

lilac  gray,  often  in  the  form  of  a  wreath  around  the  larger  end.    Size 

0.60  X  0.48. 

IN  the  warm  spring  days  comes  the  handsome  little 
Pileolated  Warbler,  with  his  long  title  of  Western 
Black-capped  Flycatching  Warbler.  He  is  a  common 
migrant  throughout  the  valleys  of  California,  and  flits 
over  the  underbrush  like  a  big  yellow  butterfly ;  but,  as 
nesting  time  approaches,  he  withdraws  to  the  mountains, 
and  is  seen  on  the  lowlands  no  more  until  fall.  Not 
shy,  he  watches  you  with  quite  as  much  interest  as  you 
observe  him,  calling  saucily  from  his  low  perch,  and 
readily  answering  to  an  imitation  of  his  "  seep  see."  If 
you  are  motionless  and  coax  long  enough,  he  will  even 
alight  on  a  spray  of  chaparral  held  in  the  hand.  In 
movements  he  is  an  odd  little  mixture  of  flycatcher  and 
hummingbird,  darting  out  for  a  passing  insect,  or  hover- 


YELLOW  OR  ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS   553 


ing  on  whirring  wings  to  pick  one  from  the  under  side  of 
a  leaf  so  swiftly  the  eye  can  scarcely  follow  him.  His 
song  reminds  one  of  the  tinkle  of  a  brooklet  in  its  merry, 
rather  metallic  melody,  and  is  a  distinct  note  in  the  med- 
ley of  spring  music. 

Like  his  Eastern  relative,  the  Wilson  warbler,  the 
Pileolated  builds  his  nest  close  to  the  ground  in  a 
swampy  willow  thicket, 
and  is  not  infrequently  a 
victim  to  the  marsh  rats 
and  snakes.  The  first 
brood  is  usually  hatched 
early  in  May,  and  is  fed 
by  regurgitation  by  both 
parents  until  four  or  five 
days  old,  when  the  usual 
food  of  small  insects  and 
little  green 
worms  is  given 
to  them  in  the 
fresh  state.  As 
soon  as  their 
nursery  days  are 
over,  the  male 
takes  entire  charge  of  the  nestlings,  feeding  them  for  ten 
days  or  two  weeks  longer. 

For  the  second  brood  a  locality  slightly  higher  up  the 
mountain  may  be  chosen,  but  oftener  the  little  mother 
builds  her  second  nest  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the 
first,  commencing  it  alone,  while  the  male  is  still  occu- 


685  a.    PILEOLATED  WARBLER. 
1  Hi*  song  reminds  one  of  the  tinkle  of  a  brooklet." 


554  LAND  BIRDS 

pied  with  the  first  series.  Incubation  lasts  twelve  days, 
and  is,  I  think,  attended  to  solely  by  the  female,  although 
the  male  is  frequently  at  the  nest  both  to  feed  her  and 
to  watch  over  —  but  not  brood  —  the  eggs. 


746.    VERDIN.—  Auriparus  flaviceps. 
FAMILY  :  The  Nuthatches  and  Tits. 

Length:  4.00-4.60. 

Adult  Male :  Crown  bright  olive  ;  forehead  sometimes  orange  ;  rest  of 

head ,  neck,  and  breast  yellow  ;    upper  parts  gray,  with  red-brown 

patch  on  shoulders ;  under  parts  whitish. 
Adult  Female:  Similar  to  male,  but  coloring  duller. 
Young :   Upper  parts  gray,  tinged  with  brownish  ;  no  yellow,  and  no 

chestnut  shoulder  patches  ;  under  parts  white. 
Geographical  Distribution:    From  Southern  Texas  to  the  Pacific,  and 

from  latitude  38°  to  Mexico  and  Lower  California. 
California  Breeding  Range:  Local  in  the  desert  regions  of  Southeastern 

California  along  the  Colorado  River  district. 
Nest :  Large,  retort-shaped  or  globular  ;  composed  externally  of  thorny 

twigs   and   stems  interwoven ;    thickly  lined  with  weed  steins   and 

feathers  ;  a  small  round  entrance  at  one  side  ;  placed  in  bushes  or 

low  trees. 
Eggs:  3  to  6  ;  pale  bluish  white,  speckled  with  red-brown.     Size  0.59 

X  0.43. 

THE  Yellow-headed  Bush-tit,  or  Verdin,  occurs  most 
abundantly  in  California  at  the  extreme  southeastern 
corner  bordering  on  the  Colorado  River.  He  is  a  tiny 
mite,  not  so  large  as  the  Rivoli  hummingbird,  which 
lives  in  the  same  district,  across  the  river,  in  Arizona. 
But  although  so  small  a  bird,  the  Verdin  has  most  re- 
markable traits,  and  is  the  most  fascinating  of  all  the 
California  birds.  From  his  wee  yellow  throat  he  pours 
such  a  flood  of  music  that  you  search  eagerly  for  the 
singer,  and  can  hardly  credit  your  senses  when  you  find 


YELLOW   OR  ORANGE   CONSPICUOUS      555 


him  scarcely  bigger  than  your  thumb ;  you  have  been 
looking  for  something  the  size  of  an  oriole  at  least.  But 
there  he  sits,  as  perky  as  if  he  were  of  respectable  size, 
and  sings  the  ditty  over  again  to  prove  that  he  can  do  it. 
And  when  you  first  find  his  nest,  the 
wonder  grows.  Surely  such  a  mite 
will  build  a  dainty  house  like  that  of 
the  hummingbird.  But  not  so !  A 
retort-shaped  affair,  ludicrously  out  of 
proportion  to  the 
diminutive  archi- 
tect, is  woven  of 
twigs  and  stems, 
each  one  a  heavy 
load  for  the  little 
builders,  and  lined 
to  bursting  with 
feathers  and  flower- 
stems.  It  is  at  least 
twenty  times  the 
size  of  the  mother  bird  who  broods 
in  it,  and  we  do  not  wonder  that  it 
is  used  summer  and  winter  so  long 
as  the  walls  remain  firm.  One  would 
suppose  this  one  nest  were  large 
enough  to  hold  both  master  and  mistress  of  the  house- 
hold ;  but,  as  if  his  industry  knew  no  bounds,  the  male 
constructs  his  own  apartment  in  the  same  neighbor- 
hood and  occupies  it  all  winter  alone.  I  believe  that 
the  female  constructs  her  own  winter  nest,  and  also 


746.   VERDIN. 

{A  retort-shaped  affair."1 


556  LAND  BIRDS 

the  breeding  nest  in  cases  where  the  winter  nest  is  not 
used  for  that  purpose.  The  architecture  of  the  two  is 
somewhat  different  in  those  I  have  observed,  the  nest 
built  by  the  female  being  larger,  more  carefully  lined, 
and  with  a  decided  hollow  in  the  centre  of  the  bedding 
material  as  if  to  keep  the  babies  from  rolling  out.  The 
nest  of  the  male  was  simply  a  hollow  gourd-shaped  affair 
with  little  or  no  lining,  and  might  pass  for  a  dummy  nest 
such  as  there  is  reason  to  believe  he  does  occasionally 
build.  Every  nest  found  had  a  neck-like  entrance  ex- 
tending downward  and  ending  in  a  round  hole.  They 
were  all  located  in  mesquite  thickets  within  six  feet  of 
the  ground,  and  most  of  them  were  easy  to  watch.  In 
ten  days  after  the  last  bluish  white  egg  was  laid,  there 
were  three  infinitesimal  bits  of  naked  bird  life,  huddled 
tightly  together  in  the  middle  of  the  feather-lined  hol- 
low. A  slit  carefully  cut  at  this  time  and  fastened  shut 
after  each  observation  enabled  me  to  keep  an  exact 
record  of  the  development  of  the  brood.  Although  I 
could  not  watch  the  mother  feeding  the  young,  I  am 
positive  it  was  done  by  regurgitation,  for  she  would  eat 
as  unconcernedly  as  if  merely  occupied  with  her  own 
dinner,  and  fly  at  once  with  apparently  empty  mouth 
into  the  nest,  emerging  shortly  to  repeat  the  perform- 
ance. During  the  first  five  days  the  male  was  not  seen 
to  go  into  the  nest,  but  sang  right  merrily  near  by. 
After  that  time  the  young  began  to  make  themselves 
heard  in  hungry  cries,  and  he  began  to  carry  food  to 
them,  which  we  could  see  in  his  bill.  This  food  con- 
sisted almost  exclusively  of  small  green  worms,  and  eggs 


YELLOW  OR  ORANGE  CONSPICUOUS      557 

and  larvae  of  insects.  The  young  Verdins  remained  in 
the  nest  quite  three  weeks,  and  long  after  their  de*but 
they  returned  to  the  nursery  every  night  to  sleep.  The 
usual  note  of  the  adult  Verdins  is  a  chickadee-like  "  tsee- 
tu-tu  "  uttered  while  hunting,  chickadee  fashion,  among 
the  terminal  buds  and  under  the  leaves  for  their  insect 
food,  and  this  the  nestlings  mimic  in  twp  syllables  as 
soon  as  they  leave  the  nest,  —  "  tsee-tee,  tsee-tee."  It  is 
a  cry  of  hunger,  and  never  fails  to  bring  the  parent  with 
food. 


SUPPLEMENTARY   LIST   OF 
CALIFORNIA   BIRDS 

CORRECTED  TO  JANUARY  1,  1909,  BY 
HARRY  C.  OBERHOLSER 


The  following  list  contains  all  additional  species  and  subspecies  which  occur,  even 
accidentally,  in  California,  and  has  been  compiled  from  all  available  sources. 

2.  HOLBCELL  GREBE.     Colymbus  holbcelli.     Rare  midwinter  vis- 
itant coastwise. 

3.  HORNED  GREBE.     Colymbus  auritus.     Rare  midwinter  visi- 
tant —  along  the  coast  and  on  inland  lakes. 

17.  PAROQUET  AUKLET.  Phaleris  psittacula.  One  record  of 
five  specimens. 

35.  SKUA.     Megalestris  skua.     One  record  by  G.  N.  Lawrence. 

36.  POMARINE  JAEGER.    Stercorarius  pomarinus.    Migrant  coast- 
wise. 

38.  LONG-TAILED  JAEGER.  Stercorarius  longicaudus.  One.  record 
by  L.  M.  Loomis. 

40  a.  PACIFIC  KITTIWAKE.  Bissa  tridactyla pollicaris.  Rare  win- 
ter visitant  coastwise. 

42.  GLAUCOUS  GULL.  Larus  hyperboreus.  Rare  winter  visitant 
along  the  coast. 

55.  SHORT-BILLED  GULL.     Larus  brachyrhynchus.     Winter  vis- 
itant coastwise. 

56.  MEW  GULL.     Larus  canus.    Winter  visitant  coastwise. 
62.   SABINE  GULL.     Xema  sabini.     Rare  migrant. 

64.  CASPIAN  TERN.  Hydroprocne  caspia.  Rare  winter  visitant 
along  the  coast. 

66.   ELEGANT  TERN.     Sterna  elegans.     Fall  and  winter  visitant. 

71.     ARCTIC  TERN.     Sterna  paradiscea.     Rare  migrant. 

91.  PINK-FOOTED  SHEARWATER.  Puffinus  creatopus.  Summer 
and  fall  visitant  along  the  coast. 


560  SUPPLEMENTARY   LIST 

96.  SLENDER-BILLED  SHEARWATER.     Puffinus  tenuirostris.    Mid- 
winter visitant. 

96.2.  NEW  ZEALAND  SHEARWATER.  Puffinus  bulkri.  One 
record  by  L.  M,  Looinis. 

97.  BLACK-TAILED    SHEARWATER.       Priofinus   cinereus.      One 
record  by  G.  N.  Lawrence. 

102.  PINTADO  PETREL.  Daption  capensis.  One  record  by  G.  N. 
Lawrence. 

105.  FORK-TAILED  PETREL.  Oceanodroma  furcata.  Irregular 
visitant. 

108.1.  SOCORRO  PETREL.  Oceanodroma  socorroensis.  Vicinity  of 
San  Diego  in  summer. 

129-  AMERICAN  MERGANSER.  Mergus  americanus.  Fairly  com- 
mon locally  in  summer. 

130.  RED-BREASTED  MERGANSER.     Mergus  serrator.    Common 
winter  visitant  coastwise. 

131.  HOODED  MERGANSER.    Lophodytes  cucullatus.    Fairly  com- 
mon fall  and  winter  visitant  in  the  interior. 

132.  MALLARD.      Boschas  platyrhynchos.      Common    resident 
locally. 

135.  GADWALL.     Chaulelasmus  streperus.     Fairly  common  resi- 
dent. 

136.  WIDGEON.     Mareca  penelope.     Recorded  from  Eureka. 

137.  BALDPATE.     Mareca  americana.     Abundant  winter  visitant 
locally. 

138.  EUROPEAN  TEAL.     Nettion  crecca.      Recorded  by  J.  G. 
Cooper  only. 

139.  GREEN-WINGED    TEAL.     Nettion  carolinense.      Abundant 
winter  visitant  locally. 

140.  BLUE- WINGED  TEAL.     Querquedula  discors.     Rare. 

141.  CINNAMON    TEAL.       Querquedula    cyanoptera.       Summer 
visitant. 

142.  SHOVELLER.    Anas  clypeata.    Winter  visitant. 

143.  PINTAIL.     Dafila  acuta.     Abundant  winter  visitant,  a  few 
remaining  to  breed. 

144.  WOOD  DUCK.     Aix  sponsa.     Common  resident. 

146.  REDHEAD.     Nyroca  americana.    Common  resident  locally. 

147.  CANVAS-BACK.    Aristonetta  valisineria.     Common   winter 
visitant  locally. 

148.  SCAUP   DUCK.     Mania,  marila.     Fairly  common  winter 
visitant. 


SUPPLEMENTARY   LIST  561 

149.  LESSER  SCAUP  DUCK.      Marila  affinis.      Common  winter 
visitant  coastwise. 

150.  RING-NECKED  DUCK.    Nyroca  collaris.     Rare. 

151.  AMERICAN    GOLDEN-EYE.      Clangula   clangula  americana. 
Winter  visitant  coastwise. 

152.  BARROW  GOLDEN-EYE.     Clangula  islandica.     Rare. 

153.  BUFFLE-HEAD.     Charitonetta  albeola.     Winter  visitant. 

154.  OLD-SQUAW.     Harelda  hyemalis.     Rare. 

155.  HARLEQUIN  DUCK.     Histrionicus  histrionicus.    Fairly  com- 
mon summer  resident. 

162.  KING  EIDER.     Somateria  spectabilis.     One  record  by  H.  W. 
Henshaw. 

163.  AMERICAN  SCOTER.     Oidemia  americana.     Rare. 

165.  WHITE-WINGED    SCOTER.        Oidemia    deglandi.       Winter 
visitant. 

166.  SURF    SCOTER.      Oidemia  perspicillata.     Common   winter 
visitant. 

167.  RUDDY  DUCK.      Erismatura  jamaicensis.     Common  resi- 
dent locally  in  the  interior. 

169.  LESSER  SNOW  GOOSE.     Chen  hyperborea  hyperborea.     Com- 
mon winter  visitant. 

169.1.   BLUE  GOOSE.     Chen  ccerulescens.     One  record  by  Belding. 

170.  Ross  SNOW  GOOSE.    Exanthemops  rossi.    Fairly  common 
winter  visitant. 

171  a.   AMERICAN    WHITE-FRONTED    GOOSE.      Anser   albifrom 
gambeli.     Common  winter  visitant. 

172.  CANADA  GOOSE.  Branta  canadensis  canadensis.  Fairly 
common  midwinter  visitant. 

172  a.    HUTCHINS  GOOSE.    Branta  canadensis  hutchinsi.    Winter 
visitant. 

172&.  WHITE-CHEEKED  GOOSE.  Branta  canadensis  occidentalis. 
Winter  visitant,  breeding  northeast  of  the  Sierras. 

172  c.  CACKLING  GOOSK.  Branta  canadensis  minima.  Winter 
visitant. 

174.  BLACK  BRANT.  Branta  nigricans.  Midwinter  visitant 
coastwise. 

176.    EMPEROR  GOOSE.     Philacte  canagica.     Rare. 

178.  FULVOUS  TREE  DUCK.  Dendrocygna  bicolor.  Common 
summer  resident  in  the  San  Joaquin-Sacramento  valley. 

188.    WOOD  IBIS.     Mycteria  americana.     Irregular  visitant. 

210  (part).  SOUTHERN  CALIFORNIA  CLAPPER  RAIL.  Rallus 
levipes.  Resident  throughout  Southern  California. 


562  SUPPLEMENTARY   LIST 

215.    YELLOW  RAIL.     Coturnicops  noveboracensis.     Rare  visitant. 

222.  RED  PHALAROPE.     Phalaropus  fulicarius.     Migrant  coast- 
wise. 

223.  NORTHERN  PHALAROPE.     Lobipes  lobatus.     Migrant  coast- 
wise. 

234.    KNOT.     Tringa  canutus.     Casual  migrant. 

239.  PECTORAL  SANDPIPER.     Pisobia  maculata.     One  record  by 
J.  G.  Cooper. 

240.  WHITE-RUMPED    SANDPIPER.      Pisobia    fuscicollis.      One 
record  by  W.  E.  Bryant. 

241.  BAIRD    SANDPIPER.      Pisobia    bairdi.       One    record    by 
J.  Mailliard. 

249.    MARBLED  GODWIT.      Limosa  fedoa.      Migrant  coastwise. 

255.   YELLOW  LEGS.     Totanus  flavipes.     Two  records. 

256  a.  WESTERN  SOLITARY  SANDPIPER.  Helodromas  snlita- 
rius  cinnamomeus.  Migrant. 

258  a.  WESTERN  WILLET.  Catoptrophorus  semipalmatus  crassi- 
rostris.  Migrant  coastwise;  occasional  winter  visitant. 

272.  AMERICAN  GOLDEN  PLOVER.  Charadrius  dominicus.  Rare 
migrant. 

274.  SEMIPALMATED  PLOVER.  JEgialem  semipalmatus.  Mi- 
grant coastwise. 

276.  LITTLE  RING  PLOVER.  Mgialitis  dubia.  One  record  by 
R.  Ridgway. 

280.  WILSON  PLOVER.  Ochthodromus  wilsonius.  One  record  by 
A.  M.  Ingersoll. 

282.  SURF  BIRD.     Aphriza.  virgata.     Rare  migrant. 

283.  TURNSTONE.     Arenaria  interpres  interpres.     Migrant  along 
the  coast. 

283.1.  RUDDY  TURNSTONE.  Arenaria  interpres  morinella.  Mi- 
grant coastwise. 

286.1.     FRAZAR  OYSTER-CATCHER.     Hwmatopus  frazari.     Rare. 

292  b.  SAN  PEDRO  PARTRIDGE.  Oreortyx  pictus  confinis.  Ex- 
treme southwestern  part  of  State. 

300  c.  OREGON  RUFFED  GROUSE.  Bonasa  umbellus  sabini. 
Resident  from  Cape  Mendocirio  northward. 

308  a.  COLUMBIAN  SHARP-TAILED  GROUSE.  Pedicecetes  phasia- 
nellus  columbianus.  Resident  in  the  northeastern  corner  of  the 
State. 

319.  WHITE-WINGED  DOVE.  Melopelia  asiatica.  Rare  visitant 
to  southeastern  portion  of  California. 


SUPPLEMENTARY   LIST  563 

320  a.  MEXICAN  GROUND  DOVE.  Ghcemepelia  passerina  pal- 
lescens.  Rare. 

334  a.  WESTERN  GOSHAWK.  Astur  atricapillus  striatulus.  Rare 
resident  in  northern  part  of  State. 

340.  ZONE-TAILED  HAWK,  Buteo  abbreviatus.  One  record  by 
J.  G.  Cooper. 

347  a.  AMERICAN  ROUGH-LEGGED  HAWK.  Archibuteo  lagopus 
sanctijohannis.  Rare  winter  visitant. 

357  a.  BLACK  MERLIN.  Falco  columbarius  suckleyi.  Rare  win- 
ter visitant  to  northern  portion  of  State. 

358.  RICHARDSON  MERLIN.  Falco  columbarius  richardsoni.  One 
record  by  H.  W.  Henshaw. 

369.  SPOTTED  OWL.    Syrnium  occidental.     Fairly  common  resi- 
dent of  the  San  Diegan  district. 

370.  GREAT  GRAY  OWL.     Scotiaptex  nebulosa.    Rare  winter  visi- 
tant in  northern  part  of  State. 

372.  SAW-WHET  OWL.  Glaux  acadica  acadica.  Eleven  records 
as  winter  visitant. 

374.  FLAMMULATED  SCREECH  OWL.  Otus  flammeolus  flamme- 
olus.  Two  records. 

374  a.   DWARF   SCREECH    OWL.      Otus    flammeolus    idahoensis. 
Several  records. 

375  a.   PALLID    HORNED    OWL.      Bubo    virginianus   pallescens. 
Desert  region  of  the  southeastern  part  of  the  State. 

375  c  (part).  CALIFORNIA  HORNED  OWL.  Bubo  virginianus 
icelus.  Fairly  common  resident  of  the  humid  coast  belt  from 
Santa  Barbara  north  to  San  Francisco  Bay. 

376.    SNOWY  OWL.     Nyctea  nyctea.     Rare  winter  visitant. 

379  a.  CALIFORNIA  PYGMY  OWL.  Glaucidium  gnoma  californi. 
cum.  Coast  region  south  to  Monterey. 

381.  ELF  OWL.  Micropallas  whitneyi.  One  record  by  R.  Ridg- 
way  and  one  by  L.  M,  Loomis. 

394  b.  BATCHELDER  WOODPECKER.  Dryobates  pubescens  leu- 
curus.  Rare  ;  possibly  only  a  winter  visitant. 

394  e.  WILLOW  WOODPECKER.  Dryobates  pubescens  turati.  Resi- 
dent in  Upper  Sonoran  and  Transition  zones  in  most  localities. 

396.  TEXAS  WOODPECKER.  Dryobates  scalaris  bairdi.  Fairly 
common  in  desert  region  southeast  of  the  Sierras. 

396  a.  SAINT  LUCAS  WOODPECKER.  Dryobates  scalaris  lucasanus. 
Recorded  from  western  Riverside  County. 


564  SUPPLEMENTARY   LIST 

402  a.     RED-NAPED   SAPSUCKER.      Sphyrapicus  varius  nuchalis. 
Winter  visitant  to  southern  part  of  State. 

403  a.   NORTHERN    SAPSUCKER.      Sphyrapicus    ruber   notkensis. 
Coast  belt  to  Monterey  in  winter. 

412  a.   NORTHERN    FLICKER.      Colaptes  auratus  luteus.      Occa- 
sional winter  visitant. 

413  a.     NORTHWESTERN    FLICKER.      Colaptes    cafer    saturatior. 
Winter  visitant  in  north  end  of  State. 

418  a.  POORWILL.  Phalcenoptiliis  nuttalli.  Resident  in  desert 
regions  of  southeastern  portion. 

420  a.  WESTERN  NIGHTHAWK.  Chordeiles  virginianus  henryi. 
Summer  visitant  in  desert  regions. 

444.  COMMON  KINGBIRD.  Tyrannus  tyrannus.  Rare  summer 
visitant. 

456.    PH<EBE.     Sayornis  phcebe.     One  record  by  H.  S.  Swarth. 

464.1.  SAINT  LUCAS  FLYCATCHER.  Empidonax  difficilis  cineri- 
tius.  Summer  resident  in  San  Diego  County. 

469.1.  GRAY  FLYCATCHER.  Empidonax  griseus.  Summer  resi- 
dent in  central  portion  of  State  along  Boreal  Zone  ;  winters  in  San 
Diegan  district. 

474  e  (part).  CALIFORNIA  HORNED  LARK.  Otocoris  alpestris 
ammophila.  Deserts  of  southeastern  California. 

474  i.  DUSKY  HORNED  LARK.  Otocoris  alpestris  merrilli.  North- 
eastern part  of  State. 

474^'  (part).  YUMA  HORNED  LARK.  Otocoris  alpestris  leucan- 
siptila.  Extreme  southeastern  corner  of  State. 

474  m.  ISLAND  HORNED  LARK.  Otocoris  alpestris  insularis. 
Common  resident  on  the  Santa  Barbara  Islands. 

480.  WOODHOUSE  JAY.  Aphelocoma  woodhousei.  Resident  along 
the  desert  ranges  east  of  the  Sierra  Nevada. 

481  b.  BELDING  JAY.  Aphelocoma  californica  obscura.  Southern 
coast  district. 

481.1.  SANTA  CRUZ  ISLAND  JAY.  Aphelocoma  insularis.  Resi- 
dent on  Santa  Cruz  Island. 

485  a.  GRAY  JAY.  Perisoreus  obscurus  griseus.  Northern  Sierra 
Nevada. 

498 /.  NORTHWESTERN  RED-WINGED  BLACKBIRD.  Agelaius  phce- 
niceus  caurinus.  Recorded  by  R.  Rulgway  from  Mendocino  County 
in  May. 

519  c.  SAN  CLEMENTE  HOUSE  FINCH.  Carpodacus  mexicanus 
dementis.  Resident  on  all  the  Santa  Barbara  Islands. 


SUPPLEMENTARY   LIST  665 

528.  REDPOLL.  Mgiofhm  Unarm  linaria.  One  record  by  J.  M. 
Willard. 

5406.  OREGON  VESPER  SPARROW.  Pooscetes  gramineus  affinis. 
Winter  visitant. 

542.  SANDWICH  SPARROW.  Passerculus  sandwichensis  sandwi- 
chensis.  Rare  visitant. 

549.1.  NELSON  SPARROW.  Ammospiza  caudacuta  nelsoni.  Two 
records. 

553.  HARRIS  SPARROW.  Zonotrichia  querula.  One  record  by 
W.  0.  Emerson. 

558.  WHITE-THROATED  SPARROW.  Zonotrichia  albicollis.  Rare 
visitant. 

559  a.  WESTERN  TREE  SPARROW.  Spizella  monticola  ochracea. 
One  record  by  Feilner. 

567.  SLATE-COLORED  JDNCO.  Junco  hyemalis  hyemalis.  Rare 
winter  visitant. 

567  b.  SHUFELDT  JUNCO.  Junco  oreganus  shufeldti.  Winter 
visitant. 

569.  GRAY-HEADED  JUNCO.  Junco  caniceps.  One  record  by 
W.  B.  Judson. 

573  a.  DESERT  BLACK-THROATED  SPARROW.  Amphispiza  bili- 
neata  deserticola.  Summer  visitant. 

574.1  b.  CALIFORNIA  SAGE  SPARROW.  Amphispiza  nevadensis 
canescens.  Desert  region  of  southeastern  part  of  State. 

581  d  (part).  MENDOCINO  SONG  SPARROW.  Melospiza  melodia 
cleonensis.  Resident  in  north  humid  coast  belt. 

581  d  (part).  SANTA  CRUZ  SONG  SPARROW.  Melospiza  melodia 
santcecrucis.  Resident  in  the  Santa  Cruz  district. 

581  e  (part).  OREGON  SONG  SPARROW.  Melospiza  melodia  phcea. 
Winter  visitant. 

581  h.  SANTA  BARBARA  SONG  SPARROW.  Melospiza  melodia  gra- 
minea.  Resident  on  Santa  Barbara  and  Santa  Cruz  Islands. 

581  i.  SAN  CLEMENTE  SONG  SPARROW.  Melospiza  melodia  ele- 
mental. Resident  on  San  Clemen te,  San  Miguel,'  and  Santa  Rosa 
Islands. 

581  k.  MERRILL  SONG  SPARROW.  Melospiza  melodia  merrilli. 
Winter  visitant;  also  breeds  in  Shasta  County. 

581 1.  SALT-MARSH  SONG  SPARROW.  Melospiza  melodia  pusil. 
lula.  Resident  in  the  San  Francisco  Bay  region. 

581  m.  SAN  DIEGO  SONG  SPARROW.  Melospiza  melodia  cooperi. 
Resident  in  the  San  Diegan  district. 

583  a.  FORBUSH  SPARROW.  Melospiza  lincolni  gracilis.  Winter 
visitant. 


566  SUPPLEMENTARY   LIST 

585.   Fox  SPARROW.     Passerclla  iliaca  iliaca.     Rare  visitant. 

585  a  (part).  SHUMAGIN  Fox  SPARROW.  Passerella  iliaca  una- 
laschcensis.  Rare  winter  visitant. 

585  a  (part).  KADIAK  Fox  SPARROW.  Passerella  iliaca  insularis. 
Winter  visitant. 

585  a  (part).  YAKUTAT  Fox  SPARROW.  Passerella  iliaca  meru- 
loides.  Winter  visitant. 

585  a  (part).  SOOTY  Fox  SPARROW.  Passerella  iliaca  fuliginosa. 
Winter  visitant  as  far  south  as  San  Francisco. 

585  c.  SLATE-COLORED  SPARROW.  Passerella  iliaca  schistacea. 
Summer  resident. 

5886  (part).  SAN  FRANCISCO  TOWHEE.  Hortulanus  maculatus 
falcifer.  Coast  belt  south  to  Monterey  County. 

588  c.  SAN  CLEMENTE  TOWHEE.  Hortulanus  maculatus  dementce. 
Resident  on  San  Clemente  and  other  Santa  Barbara  Islands. 

588  d.  SAN  DIEGO  TOWHEE.  Hortulanus  maculatus  megalonyx. 
Coast  district  of  Southern  California. 

592.  ABERT  TOWHEE.  Hortulanus  aberti.  Southeastern  corner 
of  State. 

594.  ARIZONA    PYRRHULOXIA.      Pyrrhuloxia    sinuata  sinuata. 
Recorded  only  at  Fort  Yuma. 

595.  ROSE-BREASTED  GROSBEAK.    Hedymeles  ludovicianus.   Two 
records. 

618.  BOHEMIAN  WAXWING.  Sombycilla  garrula.  Recorded  from 
Lassen,  Plumas,  and  San  Bernardino  Counties. 

621.  NORTHERN  SHRIKE.  Lanius  borealis.  Midwinter  visitant 
in  northern  part  of  State. 

622  c.  ISLAND  SHRIKE.  Lanius  ludovicianus  anthonyi.  Resi- 
dent on  Santa  Catalina  and  Santa  Cruz  Islands. 

622  d.  SAN  CLEMENTE  SHRIKE.  Lanius  ludovicianus  mearnsi. 
San  Clemente  Island. 

625.  YELLOW-GREEN  VIREO.  Vireosylva  flavoviridis.  One  rec- 
ord by  W.  W.  Price. 

629  b.  PLUMBEOUS  VIREO.  Lanivireo  solitarius  plumbeus.  One 
record  by  H.  W.  Henshaw. 

632  (part).  OBERHOLSER  VIREO.  Vireohuttonioberholseri.  West- 
ern San  Diego  County,  north  in  the  interior  to  the  San  Joaquin 
valley. 

636.  BLACK-AND-WHITE  WARBLER.  Mniotilta  varia.  Rare 
migrant. 

646.  WESTERN  ORANGE-CROWNED  WARBLER.  Vermivora  celata 
orestera.  Rare  migrant. 


SUPPLEMENTARY  LIST  567 

647.  TENNESSEE  WARBLER.  Vermivora  peregrina.  One  record 
by  J.  Grinnell. 

6526.  ALASKA  YELLOW  WARBLER.  Dendroica  cestiva  rubigi- 
nosa.  Migrant. 

654.  BLACK-THROATED  BLUE  WARBLER.  Dendroica  ccerulescens 
ccerulescens.  One  record  by  W.  E.  Bryant. 

657.   MAGNOLIA  WARBLER.    Dendroica  magnolia.    Rare  migrant. 

672.  PALM  WARBLER.  Dendroica  palmarum  palmarum.  One 
record  by  W.  O.  Emerson. 

675  a.  GRINNELL  WATER  THRUSH.  Seiurus  noveboracensis  nota- 
bilis.  One  record  by  L.  Belding. 

681  a.  WESTERN  YELLOWTHROAT.  Geothlypis  trichas  occidentalis. 
Summer  visitant. 

681  c  (part).  SAN  DIEGO  YELLOWTHROAT.  Geothlypis  trichas 
scirpicola.  Extreme  southern  coast  district. 

681  'e.  SALT-MARSH  YELLOWTHROAT.  Geothlypis  trichas  sinuosa. 
Resident  at  San  Francisco  Bay. 

687.  AMERICAN  REDSTART.  Setophaga  ruticilla.  Two  records 
by  W.  O.  Emerson  and  L.  Belding  respectively. 

704.  CATBIRD.  Dumetella  carolinensis.  One  record  by  C.  H. 
Town  send. 

708.  BENDIRE  THRASHER.  Toxostoma  bendirei.  Occurs  only  in 
desert  regions  of  southeastern  California. 

715  (part).  SAN  NICOLAS  ROCK  WREN.  Salpinctes  obsoletus 
pulverius.  San  Nicolas  Island. 

719  a  (part).  SAN  JOAQUIN  WREN.  Thryomanes  bewicki  dry- 
mcecus.  Resident  in  central  part  of  State. 

7 19 a  (part).  SANTA  CRUZ  ISLAND  WREN.  Thryomanes  be- 
wicki nesophilus.  Resident  on  Santa  Cruz  and  Santa  Rosa  Islands. 

719  b.  DESERT  WREN.  Thryomanes  bewicki  eremophilus.  Resi- 
dent along  desert  ranges  in  southeastern  part  of  State. 

719  d.  SAN  DIEGO  WREN.  Thryomanes  bewicki  charienturus. 
Resident  in  San  Diegan  district. 

719.1.  SAN  CLEMENTS  WREN.  Thryomanes  bewicki  leucophrys. 
Resident  on  San  Clemente  Island. 

733  (part).  SAN  DrEGO  TITMOUSE.  Bceolophus  inornatus  mu- 
rinus.  Southern  California. 

733  a.  GRAY  TITMOUSE.  Bceolophus  inornatus  griseus.  Resident 
along  the  desert  ranges. 

738  a.  SAN  DIEGO  CHICKADEE.  Penthestes  gambeli  baileyce. 
Southern  part  of  State. 


568  SUPPLEMENTARY   LIST 

741  b.   BARLOW  CHICKADEE.    Penthestes  rufescens  barlmvi.    Coast 
range  of  Central  California. 

742  a.    PALLID  WREN-TIT.     Chamcea  fasciata  henshawi.     Interior 
districts  of  California. 

742  b.  RUDDY  WREN-TIT.  Chamcea  fasciata  rufula.  Central 
coast  districts  of  California. 

743.  BUSH-TIT.  Psaltriparus  minimus  minimus.  Entire  coast 
district. 

749  (part).  RUBY-CROWNED  KINGLET.  Regulus  calendula  calen- 
dula. Winter  visitor  ;  perhaps  resident  in  northern  coast  region. 

749  a.  SITKA  KINGLET.  Regulus  calendula  grinnelli.  Winter 
visitant. 

752.  PLUMBEOUS  GNATCATCHER.  Polioptila  plumbea.  Resident 
locally  in  the  desert  region  of  southeastern  part  of  State. 

758  a.   OLIVE-BACK   THRUSH.      Hylocichla    ustulata   swainsoni. 
Rare  transient. 

759.  DWARF  HERMIT  THRUSH.  Hylocichla  guttata  guttata. 
Winter  visitant. 

759  (part).    MONTEREY   HERMIT    THRUSH.     Hylocichla  guttata 
slevini.     Central  coast  district  in  summer. 

763  a.  ALASKA  VARIED  THRUSH.  Ixoreus  ncevius  meruloides. 
Winter  visitor. 

767  b.  SAN  PEDRO  BLUEBIRD.  Sialia  mexicana  anabelae.  The 
entire  State,  except  northern  coast  region. 


INDEX 


ACCIPITER  cooperi,  143 

velox,  142 

Actitis  macularia,  72 
^Echmophorus  occidentalis,  82 
JEgialitis  montana,  113 

nivosa,  78 

vocifera,  77 

Aeronautes  melanoleucus,  379 
Agelaius  gubernator  californicus,  474 

phceniceus  neutralis,  470 
sonoriensis,  473 

tricolor,  475 
Aimophila  ruficeps,  239 
Albatross,  Black-footed,  17 

Short-tailed,  18 
Allen  Hummingbird,  429 
American  Avocet,  60 

Barn  Owl,  166 

Bittern,  90 

Black  Tern,  46 

Coot,  107 

Crow,  408 

Dipper,  264 

E:ired  Grebe,  84 

Egret,  94 

Long-eared  Owl,  1G8 

Osprey,  163 

Pipit,  "262 

Raven,  405 

White  Pelican,  53 
Ammodramus  beldingi,  217 

rostratus,  218 

sandwichensis  alaudinus,  215 
bryanti,  216 

savannarum  bimaculatus,  219 
Ampelis  cedrorum,  259 
Amphispiza  belli,  236 

nevadensis,  237 
Ancient  Murrelet,  7 


Anna  Hummingbird,  423 
Anthony  Green  Heron,  96 

Townee,  250 

Anthus  pensilvanicus,  262 
Aphelocoma  calif ornica,  490 
Aquila  chrysaetos,  154 
Archibuteo  ferugineus,  153 
Arctic  Three-toed  Woodpecker, 
Ardea  candidissima,  95 

egretta,  94 

herodias,  93 

virescens  anthonyi,  96 
Ardetta  exilis,  91 
Arenaria  melanot-ephala,  80 
Arizona  Hooded  Oriole,  517 
Arkansas  Goldfinch,  528 

Kingbird,  318 

Ash-throated  Flycatcher,  324 
Ashy  Petrel,  24" 
Asio  accipitrinus,  169 

wilsonianiis,  168 
Astragalinus  lawrencei,  529 

psaltria,  528 

tristis  salicamans,  525 
Audubon  Hermit  Thrush,  307 

Warbler,  538 
Auklet,  Cassin,  6 

Rhinoceros,  5 
Auriparus  flaviceps,  554 
Avocet,  American,  60 

BAIRD  Cormorant,  52 
Bald  Eagle,  156 
Band-tailed  Pigeon,  130 
Bank  Swallow,  334 
Barn  Swallow,  500 
Belding  Marsh  Sparrow,  217 
Bell  Sparrow,  236 
Belted  Kingfisher,  313 


570 


INDEX 


Bicolored  Blackbird,  474 
Bittern,  American,  90 

Least,  91 
Black-bellied  Plover,  76 

-billed  Magpie,  383 

-chinned  Hummingbird,  417 
Sparrow,  230 

-crowned  Night  Heron,  97 

-footed  Albatross,  17 

-headed  Grosbeak,  253 

-necked  Stilt,  62 

Oyster-catcher,  81 

Petrel,  23 

Rail,  104 

Swift,  404 

-tailed  Gnatcatcher,  358 

-throated  Gray  Warbler,  401 

Turnstone,  80 

-vented  Shearwater,  20 
Blackbird,  Bicolored,  474 

Brewer,  412 

San  Diego  Red-winged,  470 

Sonoran  -Red-winged,  473 

Tricolored,  475 

Yellow-headed,  508 
Blue  Crane,  93 

-fronted  Jay,  489 
Bluebird,  Mountain,  506 

Western,  505 
Bobolink,  390 
Bonaparte  Gull,  42 
Bonasa  umbellus  sabini,  126 
Botaurus  lentiginosus,  90 
Brachyramphus  hypoleucus,  11 

marmoratus,  10 
Brandt  Cormorant,  50 
Brewer  Blackbird,  412 

Sparrow,  228 

Bryant  Marsh  Sparrow,  216 
Bubo  virginianus  pacificus,  173 
Bullock  Oriole,  519 
Bunting,  Lark,  396 

Lazuli,  498 
Burrowing  Owl,  175 
Bush-tit,  Californian,  298 

Lead-colored,  354 
Buteo  borealis  calurus,  147 

lineatus  elegans,  149 

swainsoni,  150 


CABANIS  Woodpecker,  361 
Cactus  Wren,  276 
Calamospiza  melanoc.orys,  398 
Calaveras  Warbler,  533" 
Calidris  arenaria,  68 
California  Brown  Pelican,  55 

Clapper  Rail,  99 

Cuckoo,  185 

Gull,  39 

Jay,  490 

Murre,  13 

Partridge,  118 

Pine  Grosbeak,  476 

Poorwill,  192 

Purple  Finch,  478 

Screech  Owl,  171 

Shrike,  337 

Vulture,  134 
Californian  Bush-tit,  298 

Chickadee,  353 

Creeper,  293 

Thrasher,  270 

Towhee,  248 

Woodpecker,  376 
Calliope  Hummingbird,  431 
Calypte  anna,  423 

"costae,  420 
Canon  Wren,  281 
Carolina  Rail,  102 
Carpodacus  cassini,  480 

mexicanus  frontalis,  481 

purpureus  californicus,  478 
Cassin  Auklet,  6 

Kingbird,  322 

Purple  Finch,  480 

Vireo,  448 
'athartes  aura,  136 
Catherpes  mexicanus  conspersus,  281 

punctulatus,  282 
Cedar  Waxwing,  259 
Centrocercus  urophasianus,  127 
Ceophloeus  pileatus  abieticola,  372 
Cepphus  columba,  12 
Cerorhinca  monocerata,  5 
Certhia  familiaris  occidentalis,  293 

zelotes,  293 
Ceryle  alcyon,  313 
Ctueton  vauxii,  317 
Chamaea  fasciata,  296 


INDEX 


571 


Chamam  fasciata  phsea,  302 
Chat,  Long-tailed,  549 
Chestnut-backed  Chickadee,  301 
Chickadee,  Californian,  353 
Chestnut-backed,  301 
Mountain,  350 

Chondestes  grammacus  strigatus,  221 
Chordeiles  acutipennis  texensis,  197 

virginianus,  194 
Cinclus  mexicanus,  264 
Circus  hudsonius,  139 
Cistothorus  palustris  paludicola,  289 

plesius,  292 

Clarke  Nutcracker,  329 
Cliff  Swallow,  256 
Coast  Wren-tit,  302 
Coccothraustes  vespertinus  montanus, 

523 

Coccyzus  americanus  occidentalis,  185 
Colaptes  cafer  collaris,  188 
Columba  fasciata,  130 
Colymbus  nigricollis  californicus,  84 
Condor,  134 
Contopus  borealis,  433 

ricliardsoiiii,  202 
Cooper  Hawk,  143 
Coot,  American,  107 
Cormorant,  Baird,  52 
Brandt,  50 
Farallone,  48 
Corvus  americanus,  408 
corax  sinuatus,  405 
cryptoleucus,  389 
Costa  Hummingbird,  420 
Cowbird,  411 
Crane,  Blue,  93 
Sandhill,  98 
Creeper,  Californian,  293 

Sierra,  293 
Crissal  Thrasher,  274 
Crossbill,  Mexican,  483 
Crow,  American,  408 
Cuckoo,  California,  185 
Curlew,  Hudsonian,  75 
Jack,  75 
Long-billed,  73 
Sickle-billed,  73 

Cyanocephalus  cyanocephalus,  493 
Cyanocitta  stelleri,  485 


Cyanocitta  stelleri  frontalis,  489 
Cyanospiza  amceua,  498 
Cypseloides  niger  borealis,  404 

DARK-BODIED  Shearwater,  21 
Dendragapus  obscurus  fuliginosus,  124 
Dendroica  aestiva,  535 

auduboni,  538 

coronata,  537 

nigrescens,  401 

occidentalis,  542 

townsendi,  540 
Desert  Horned  Lark,  204 

Song  Sparrow,  240 

Sparrow  Hawk,  161 
Diomedea  albatrus,  18 

nigripes,  17 
Dipper,  American,  264 
Dolichonyx  oryzivorus,  390 
Dotted  Canon  Wren,  282 
Dove,  Mourning,  132 
Dowitcher,  Long-billed,  63 
Dryobates  nuttallii,  364 

pubescens  gairdnerii,  363 

villosus  harrisii,  360 

hyloscopus,  361 
Duck  Hawk,  158 
Dusky  Poorwill,  192 

Warbler,  457 
Dwarf  Hermit  Thrush,  309 

EAGLE,  Bald,  156 

Golden,  154 
Egret,  American,  94 
Elanus  leucurus,  138 
Empidonax  difficilis,  436 

hammondi,  441 

traillii,  439 

wrightii,  442 
Ereunetes  occidentalis,  67 

FALCO  columbarius,  159 

mexicanus,  145 

peregrinus  anatum,  158 

sparverius  deserticola,  161 
falcon,  Prairie,  145 
7arallone  Cormorant,  48 
Ferruginous  Rough-leg,  153 
'inch,  California  Purple,  478 

Cassia  Purple,  480 


572 


INDEX 


Finch,  House,  481 

Grosbeak,  California  Pine,  476 

Pine,  211 

Western  Blue,  496 

Fish  Hawk,  163 

Western  Evening,  523 

Flicker,  Red-shafted,  188 

Grouse,  Oregon  Ruffed,  126 

Florida  Gallinule,  105 

Sage,  127 

Flycatcher,  Ash-throated,  324 

Sooty,  124 

Hammond,  441 

Grus  mexicana,  98 

Olive-sided,  433 

Guillemot,  Pigeon,  12 

Traill,  439 

Guiraca  caerulea  lazula,  496 

Vermilion,  466 

Gull,  Bonaparte,  42 

Western,  436 

California,  39 

Wright,  442 

Glaucous-winged,  32 

Forster  Tern,  44 

Heermann,  41 

Fregata  aquila,  26 

Herring,  37 

Fulica  americana,  107 

Ring-billed,  40 

Fulmar,  Pacific,  19 

Western,  34 

Fulmarus  glacialis  glupischa,  19 

Gj'mnogyps  californianus,  134 

GAIRDNER  Woodpecker,  363 

H^MATOPUS  bachmani,  81 

Gallinago  delicata,  111 

Haliasetus  leucocephalus,  156 

Gallinula  galeata,  105 

Hammond  Flycatcher,  441 

Gallinule,  Florida,  105 

Harris  Woodpecker,  360 

Gam  be!  Partridge,  122 

Hawk,  Cooper,  143 

Sparrow,  224 

Desert  Sparrow,  161 

Gavia  i  in  her,  27 

Duck,  158 

lumine,  31 

Fish,  163 

pacifica,  30 

Marsh,  139 

Geococcyx  californiamis  181 

Pigeon,  159 

Geothlypis  tolmiei,  545 

Red-bellied,  149 

trichas  arizela,  546 

Sharp-shinned,  142 

Gila  Woodpecker,  378 

Swainson,  150 

Glaucidium  gnoma,  178 

Heerman  Song  Sparrow,  243 

Glaucous-winged  Gull,  32 

Heermann  Gull,  41 

Gnatcatcher,  Black-tailed,  358 

Heleodytes  brunneicapillus,  276 

Western,  356 

Helminthophila  celata  lutescens.  455 

Golden-crowned  Sparrow,  225 

sordida,  457 

Eagle,  154 

rubricapilla  gutturalis,  533 

Goldfinch.  Arkansas,  528 

Hermit  Warbler,  542 

Lawrence,  529 

Heron,  Anthony  Green,  96 

Willow,  525 

Black-crowned  Night,  97 

Grav-crowned  Leucosticte,  209 

Great  Blue,  93 

'    Vireo,  454 

Snowy,  95 

Great  Blue  Heron,  93 

Herring  Gull,  37 

Greater  Yellow-legs,  69 

Heteractitis  incanus,  71 

Grebe,  American  Eared,  84 

Himantopus  mexicanus,  62 

Pied-billed,  86 

Hiruiido  erythrogastra,  500 

Western,  82 

House  Finch,  481 

Green-tailed  Towhee,  251 

Hudsonian  Curlew,  75 

Grosbeak,  Black-headed,  253 

Hummingbird,  Allen,  429 

INDEX 


573 


Hummingbird,  Anna.  423 

Lark,  Desert  Horned,  204 

Black-chinned,  417 

Mexican  Horned,  208 

Calliope,  431 

Pallid  Horned,  204 

Costa,  420 

Ruddy  Horned,  208 

Rufous,  426 

Streaked  Horned,  209 

Hutton  Vireo,  451 

Sparrow,  Western,  221 

Hydrochelidon  nigra  surinamensis.  46 

Larus  argentatus,  37 

Hylocichla  guttata  auduboni,  307 

californicus,  39 

naua.  309 

delawarensis,  40 

ustulata,  306 

glaucescens,  32 

heermanni,  41 

{BIS,  White-faced  Glossy.  88 

occidentalis,  34 

Icteria  virens  longicauda,  549 

Philadelphia,  42 

Icterus  bullocki,  519 

Lawrence  Goldfinch,  529 

cucullatus  nelsoni,  517 

Lazuli  Bunting,  498 

parisorum,  514 

Lead-colored  Bush-tit,  354 

Interior  Tule  Wren,  292 

Least  Bittern,  91 

Intermediate  Sparrow,  224 

Sandpiper,  65 

Ixoreus  nsevius,  311 

Tern,  45 

Vireo,  453 

JACK  Curlew,  75 

Leconte  Thrasher,  273 

Jaeger,  Parasitic,  16 

Leucosticte,  Gray-crowned,  209 

Jay,  Blue-fronted,  489 

tephrocotis,  209 

California,  490 

Lewis  Woodpecker,  465 

Oregon,  327 

Lincoln  Sparrow,  244 

Pinon,  493 

Linnet,  481 

Steller,  485 

Long-billed  Curlew,  73 

Junco  hyemalis  oregonus,  333 

Dowitcher,  63 

pinosus,  234 

-tailed  Chat,  549 

thurberi,  231 

Loon,  27 

Oregon,  333 

Pacific,  30 

Point  Pinos,  234 

Red-throated,  31 

Sierra,  231 

Lophortyx  californicus,  118 

Thurber,  231 

vallicola,  120 

gambeli,  122 

KAEDING  Petrel,  22 

Louisiana  Tanager,  530 

Killdeer,  77 

Loxia  curvirostra  stricklandi,  483 

Kingbird,  Arkansas,  318 

Lunda  cirrhata,  3 

Cassin,  322 

Lutescent  Warbler,  455 

Kingfisher,  Belted,  313 

Kinglet,  Ruby-crowned,  459 

MACGILLIVRAY  Warbler,  545 

Western  Golden-crowned,  458 

Macrorhamphus  scolopaceus,  63 

Kite,  White-tailed,  138 

Magpie,  Black-billed,  383 

Yellow-billed,  387 

LANIUS    ludovicianus    excubitorides, 

Man-o'-War  Bird,  26 

336 

Marbled  Murrelet,  10 

gambeli,  337 

Marsh  Hawk,  139 

Large-billed  Sparrow,  218 

Martin,  Western,  415 

Lark  Bunting,  396 

Meadow  Oxeye,  65 

574 


INDEX 


Meadowlark,  Western,  511 
Megascops  asio  bendirei,  171 
Melanerpes  formicivorus  bairdi,  376 

torquatus,  465 

uropygialis,  378 
Melospiza  lincolnii,  244 

melodia  fallax,  240 

heermanni,  243 
montana,  242 
morphna,  244 
samuelis,  243 

Merula  migratoria  propinqua,  309 
Mexican  Crossbill,  483 

Horned  Lark,  208 
Mimus  polyglottos  leucopterus,  340 
Mockingbird,  Western,  340 
Molothrus  ater,  411 
Mountain  Bluebird,  506 

Chickadee,  350 

Partridge,  114 

Plover,  113 

Song  Sparrow,  242 
Mourning  Dove,  132 
Mud-hen,  Red-billed,  105 
Murre,  California,  13 
Murrelet,  Ancient,  7 

Marbled,  10 

Xantus,  11 

Myadestes,  townsendii,  303 
Myiarchus  cinerascens,  324 
Myrtle  Warbler,  537 

NlGHTHAWK,  194 

Texan,  197 
Northern  Pileated  Woodpecker,  372 

Violet-green  Swallow,  445 
Nucifraga  columbiana,  329 
Numenius  hudsonicus,  75 

longirostris,  73 
Nutcracker,  Clarke,  329 
Nuthatch,  Pygmy,  345 

Red-breasted,  344 

Slender-billed,  342 
Nuttall  Sparrow,  225 

Woodpecker,  364 
Nycticorax  nycticorax  naevius,  97 

OCEANODROMA  homochroa,  24 
Kaedingi,  22 
melania,  23 


Olbiorchilus  hiemalis  pacificus,  287 
Olive-sided  Flycatcher,  433 
Olor  buccinator,  57 

columbianus,  56 
Oregon  Jay,  327 

Junco,  333 

Ruffed  Grouse,  126 

Towhee,  394 
Oreortyx  pictus,  114 

plumiferus,  115 
Oreospiza  chlorura,  251 
Oriole,  Arizona  Hooded,  517 

Bullock,  519 

Scott,  514 
Oroscoptes  montanus,  268 
Osprey,  American,  163 
Otocoris  alpestns  chrysolsema,  208 
leucolaema,  204 
rubea,  208 
strigata,  209 
Ouzel,  Water,  264 
Owl,  American  Barn,  166 

Long-eared,  168 

Burrowing,  175 

California  Screech,  171 

Pacific  Horned,  173 

Pygmy,  178 

Short4ared,  169 
Ox  Bird,  66 
Oxeye,  Meadow,  65 
Oyster-catcher,  Black,  81 

PACIFIC  Fulmar,  19 

Horned  Owl,  173 

House  Wren,  285 

Loon,  30 

Yellow-throat,  546 
Pallid  Horned  Lark,  204 

Wren-tit,  296 

Pandion  haliaetus  carolinensis,  163 
Parasitic  Jaeger,  16 
Parkman  Wren,  285 
Partridge,  California,  118 

Gambel,  122 

Mountain,  114 

Plumed,  115 

Valley,  120 
Parus  gambeli,  350 

inornatus,  348 


INDEX 


575 


Parus  rufescens,  301 

neglectus,  353 
Passadena  Thrasher,  272 
Passerella  iliaca  megarhyncha,  247 
Stephens!,  248 
unalaschcensis,  245 
Pelecanus  californicus,  55 

erythrorhynchos,  53 
Pelican,  American  White,  53 

California  Brown,  55 
Perisoreus  obscurus,  327 
Petrel,  Ashv,  24 

Black,  23 

Kaeding,  22 

Petrochelidon  lunifrons,  256 
Pewee,  Western  Wood,  202 
•Phainopepla,  398 

nitens,  398 

Phalacrocorax  dilophus   albociliatus, 
48 

pelagicus  resplendens,  52 

penieillatus,  50 
Phaisenoptilus    nuttalli    californicus, 

192 

Phalarope,  Wilson,  58 
Phoebe,  Say,  199 

Western  Black,  381 
Pica  nuttalli,  387 

pica  hudsonica,  383 
Picoides  arcticus,  368 
Pied-billed  Grebe,  86 
Pigeon,  Band-tailed,  130 

Guillemot.  12 

Hawk,  159 

Pileolated  Warbler,  552 
Pine  Finch,  211 

Siskin,  211 

Pinicola  enucleator  californica,  476 
Pifion  Jay,  493 
Pipilo  fuscus  crissalis,  248 
senicula,  250 

maculatus  megalonyx,  393 

oregonus,  394 
Pipit,  American,  262 
Piranga  ludoviciana,  530 
Plain  Titmouse,  348 
Plegadis  guarauna,  88 
Plover,  Black-bellied,  76 

Mountain,  113 


Plover,  Snowy,  78 
Plumed  Partridge,  115 
Podilymbus  podiceps,  86 
Point  Pinos  Junco,  234 
Polioptila  caerulea  obscura,  356 

californica,  358 

Pocecetes  gramineus  confinis,  213 
Poorwill,  California,  192 

Dusky,  192 
Porzana  Carolina,  102 

jamaicensis,  104 
Prairie  Falcon,  145 
Progne  subis  hesperia,  415 
Psaltriparus  minimus  californicus,  298 

plumbeus,  354 
Ptychoramphus  aleuticus,  6 
Puffin,  Tufted,  3 
Puffinus  griseus,  21 

opisthomelas,  20 
Pvgmy  Nuthatch,  345 

Owl,  178 

Pyrocephalus     rubineus    mexicai^us, 
466 

RAIL,  Black,  104 

California  Clapper,  99 

Carolina,  102 

Virginia,  101 
Rallus  obsoletus,  99 

virginianus,  101 
Raven,  American,  405 

White-necked,  389 
Recurvirostra  americana,  60 
Red-backed  Sandpiper,  66 

-bellied  Hawk,  149 

-billed  Mud-hen,  105 

-breasted  Nuthatch,  344 
Sapsucker,  462 

-shafted  Flicker,  188 

-tailed  Hawk,  Western,  147 

-throated  Loon,  31 
Regulus  calendula,  459 

satrapa  olivaceus,  458 
Rhinoceros  Auklet,  5 
Ring-billed  Gull,  40 
Riparia  riparia.  334 
Road-runner,  181 
Robin,  Western,  309 
Rock  Wren,  279 


576 


INDEX 


Rough-leg,  Ferruginous,  153 

-winged  Swallow,  258 
Royal  Tern,  43 
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet,  459 
Ruddy  Horned  Lark,  208 
Rufous -crowned  Sparrow,  239 

Hummingbird,  426 
Russet-backed  Thrush,  306 
Rusty  Song  Sparrow,  244 

SAGE  Grouse,  127 

Sparrow,  237 

Thrasher,  268 
Salpinctes  obsoletus,  279 
Samuels  Song  Sparrow,  243 
San  Diego  Red-winged  Blackbird,  470 
Sanderling,  68 
Sandhill  Crane,  98 
Sandpiper,  Least,  65 

Red-backed,  66 

Spotted,  72 

Western,  67 
Sapsucker,  Red-breasted,  462 

Williamson,  370 
Say  Phoebe,  199 
Sayornis  nigricans  semiatra,  381 

"  saya,  199 

Scolecopliagus  cyanocephalus,  412 
Scott  Oriole,  514 
Selasphorus  alleni,  429 

rufus,  426 

Sharp-shinned  Hawk,  142 
Shearwater,  Black-vented,  20 

Dark-bodied,  21 
Short-eared  Owl,  169 

-tailed  Albatross,  18 
Shrike,  California,  337 

White-rnmped,  336 
Sialia  arctica,  506 

mexicana  occidental  is,  505 
Sickle-billed  Curlew,  73 
Sierra  Creeper,  293 

Hermit  Thrush,  307 

Junco,  231 
Siskin,  Pine,  211 
Sitta  canadensis,  344 

carolinensis  aculeata,  342 

pygmsea,  345 
Slender-billed  Nuthatch,  342 


Snipe,  Wilson,  111 
Snowy  Heron,  95 

Plover,  78 

Solitaire,  Townsend,  303 
Sonoran  Red-winged  Blackbird.  473 
Sooty  Grouse,  124 
Sora,  102 
Sparrow,  Belding  Marsh,  217 

Bell,  236 

Black-chinned,  230 

Brewer,  228 

Bryant  Marsh,  216 

Desert  Song,  240 

Gambel,  224 

Golden-crowned,  225 

Heerman  Song,  243 

Intermediate,  224 

Large  billed,  218 

Lincoln,  244 

Mountain  Song,  242 

Nuttall,  225 

Rufous-crowned,  239 

Rusty  Song,  244 

Sage,  237 

Samuels  Song,  243 

Stephens,  248 

Thick-billed,  247 

Townsend,  245 

Western  Chipping,  227 

Grasshopper,  219 
Lark,  221 
Savanna,  215 
Vesper,  213 

White-crowned,  222 
Speotyto  cunicularia  hypogaea,  175 
Sphyrapicus  ruber,  462 

thyroideus,  370 
Spinus  pinus,  211 
Spizella  atrigularis,  230 

breweri,  228 

socialis  arizonse,  227 
Spotted  Sandpiper,  72 
Spurred  Towhee,  393 
Squatarola,  76 
Steganopus  tricolor,  58 
Stelgidopteryx  serripennis,  258 
Steller  Jay  485 
Stellula  calliope,  431 
Stephens  Spai  row,  248 


INDEX 


577 


Stercorarius  parnsiticus,  16 

Towhee,  Californian,  248 

Sterna  antillarum,  45 

Green-tailed,  251 

forsteri,  44 

Oregon,  394 

maxima,  43 

Spurred,  393 

Stilt',  Black-necked,  62 

Townsend  Sparrow,  245 

Streaked  Horned  Lark,  209 

Solitaire,  303 

Strix  pratincola,  166 

Warbler,  540 

Sturnella  magna  neglecta,  511 

Toxostoma  crissalis,  274 

Swainson  Hawk,  150 

lecontei,  273 

Swallow,  Bank,  334 

redivivum,  270 

Barn,  500 

pasadenense,  272 

Cliff,  256 

Traill  Flycatcher,  439 

Northern  Violet-green,  445 

Tree  Swallow,  502 

Rough-winged,  258 

Tricolored  Blackbird,  475 

Tree,  502 

Tringa  alpina  pacifica,  66 

White-bellied,  502 

minutilla,  65 

Swan,  Trumpeter,  57 

Trochilus  alexandri,  417 

Whistling,  56 

Troglodytes  aedon  parkmanii,  285 

Stvift,  Black,  404 

Trumpeter  Swan,  57 

Vaux,  317 

Tufted  Puffin,  3 

White-throated,  379 

Tule  Wren,  289 

Synthliboramphus  antiquus,  7 

Turkey  Vulture,  136 

Turnstone,  Black,  80 

TACHYCIXKTA  bicolor,  502 

Tyrannus  verticalis,  318 

thalassina  lepida,  445 

vociferans,  322 

Tanager,  Louisiana,  530 
Western,  530 

URIA  troile  Californica,  13 

Tattler,  Wandering,  71 

VALLEY  Partridge,  120 

Tern,  American  Black,  46 

Varied  Thrush,  311 

Forster,  44 

Vaux  Swift,  317 

Least,  45 

Verdin,  554 

Royal,  43 

Vermilion  Fh  catcher,  466 

Texan  Nighthawk,  197 

Vigors  Wren,  284 

Thick-billed  Sparrow,  247 

Vireo,  Cassin,  448 

Thrasher,  Californian,  270 

gilvus,  447 

Crissal,  274 

Gray,  454 

Leconte,  273 

Hutton,  451 

Pasadena,  272 

huttoni,  451 

Sage,  268 

Least,  453 

Thrush,  Audubon  Hermit,  307 
Dwarf  Hermit,  309 

pusillus,  453 
solitarius  cassinii,  448 

Russet-backed,  306 

vicinior,  454 

Sierra  Hermit,  307 
Varied,  311 
Thryomanes  bewickii  spilurus,  284 
Thurber  Junco,  231 
Titmouse,  Plain,  348 

Warbling,  447 
Virginia  Rail,  101 
Vulture,  California,  134 
Turkey,  136 

Totanus  melanoleucus,  69 

WANDERING  Tattler,  71 

Towhee,  Anthony.  250 

Warbler,  Audubon,  538 

37 


578 


INDEX 


Warbler,  Black-throated  Gray,  401 

Williamson  Sapsucker,  370 

Calaveras,  533 

Willow  Goldfinch,  525 

Duskv,  457 

Wilson  Phalarope,  58 

Hermit,  542 

Snipe,  111                • 

Lutescent,  455 

Wilsonia  pusilla  pileolata,  552 

Macgillivray,  545 

Woodpecker,  Arctic  Three-toed,  368 

Myrtle,  537 

Cabanis,  361 

Pileolated,  552 

Californian,  376 

Townsend,  540 

Gairdner,  363 

Yellow,  535 

Gila,  378 

Yellow-rumped,  537 

Harris,  360 

Warbling  Vireo,  447 

Lewis,  465 

Water  Ouzel,  264 

Northern  Pileated,  372 

Waxwing,  Cedar,  259 

Nuttall,  364 

Western  Black  Phoebe,  381 

White-headed,  366 

Blue  Grosbeak,  496 

Wren,  Cactus,  276 

Bluebird,  505 

Canon,  281 

Chipping  Sparrow,  227 

Dotted  Canon,  282 

Evening  Grosbeak,  523 

Interior  Tule,  292 

Flycatcher,  436 

Pacific  House,  285 

Gnatcatcher,  356 

Parkman,  285 

Golden-crowned  Kinglet,  458 

Rock,  279 

Grasshopper  Sparrow,  219 

Tule,  289 

Grebe,  82 

Vigors,  284 

Gull,  34 

Western  Marsh,  292 

Lark  Sparrow,  221 

Western  Winter,  287 

Marsh  Wren,  292 

Wren-tit,  Coast,  302 

Martin,  415 

Pallid,  296 

Meadowlark,  511 

Wright  Flycatcher,  442 

Mockingbird,  340 

Red-tailed  Hawk,  147 

XANTHOCEPHALUS     xanthocephalu 

Robin,  309 

508 

Sandpiper,  67 

Xantus  Murrelet,  11 

Savanna  Sparrow,  215             • 

Xenopicus  albolarvatus,  366 

Tanager,  530 
Vesper  Sparrow,  213 

YELLOW-BILLED  Magpie,  387 
-headed  Blackbird,  508 

Winter  Wren,  287 
Wood  Pewee,  202 
Whistling  Swan,  56 
White-bellied  Swallow,  502  - 

-legs,  Greater,  69 
-rumped  Warbler,  537 
-throat,  Pacific,  546 
Warbler,  535 

-crowned  Sparrow,  222 

-faced  Glossy  Ibis,  88 

ZAMELODIA  melanocephala,  253 

-headed  Woodpecker,  366 

Zenaidura  macroura,  132 

-necked  Raven.  389 

Zonotrichia  coronata,  225 

-rumped  Shrike,  336 

leucophrys,  222 

-tailed  Kite,  138 

gam  belli,  224 

-throated  Swift,  379 

nuttalli,  225 

University  of  California 

SOUTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 

Return  this  material  to  the  library 

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REC'D  ID-URL      MAR 


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REC'D  LO-"15! 
.  IOLOCT19 
1116  I/ 


1  0  1989 


A     000  020  532     8 

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8  1 


§ 


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L.OF-CAU 


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